Power Doppler ultrasonographic diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinomas.
OBJECTIVE
Power Doppler ultrasonography can evaluate the hemodynamics of intrahepatic tumors. The ability of power Doppler ultrasonography to detect small hepatocellular carcinomas and estimate the differentiation of the tumor by the patterns of intranodular waves was assessed.


METHODS
We used conventional B-mode ultrasonography, power Doppler ultrasonography, and dynamic computed tomography to examine 71 hepatocellular carcinomas (</=3 cm) before liver resection.


RESULTS
The sensitivity of conventional ultrasonography, power Doppler ultrasonography, and computed tomography increased as tumor diameter increased, with little difference between modalities. Nodules up to 5 mm in diameter as well as some nodules in the lateral segment or the subphrenic area of the liver were not detected by power Doppler ultrasonography, although two nodules not detected by computed tomography were apparent from power Doppler ultrasonography. With the latter modality, the proportion of nodules with afferent pulsatile waves was higher in moderately or poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas than in well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas. Afferent continuous waves were detectable only in well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas.


CONCLUSIONS
Although the sensitivity of power Doppler ultrasonography remains unsatisfactory for minute lesions (</=5 mm) and for laterally or subphrenically situated lesions, this method can usually distinguish moderately or poorly differentiated from well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinomas, which is useful in planning treatment and predicting outcome.
Morimoto
Yoshihiko
Y
Second Department of Surgery, Osaka City University Medical School, Osaka, Japan.
Kubo
Shoji
S
Shuto
Taichi
T
Tanaka
Hiromu
H
Hirohashi
Kazuhiro
K
Yamamoto
Takatsugu
T
Yamada
Ryusaku
R
Kinoshita
Hiroaki
H
D000368:Aged; D001707:Biopsy, Needle; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D011300:Preoperative Care / Q000379:methods; D011379:Prognosis; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011856:Radiographic Image Enhancement; D012494:Sampling Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*