Comparison of fundamental sonography, tissue-harmonic sonography, fundamental compound sonography, and tissue-harmonic compound sonography for focal hepatic lesions.
Image qualities of fundamental, tissue-harmonic, fundamental compound, and tissue-harmonic compound sonography for evaluating focal hepatic lesions were compared. Two radiologists, blinded to the type of techniques and to the final diagnosis, independently evaluated 384 images of 96 hepatic lesions: hemangiomas (n=35), hepatic cystic lesions (n=28), cirrhosis-related nodules (n=22), focal nodular hyperplasia (n=1), and metastases (n=10). All images were graded in terms of lesion conspicuity, margin sharpness, and overall image quality using a 4- or 5-point scale. In the cases of cystic lesions, posterior acoustic enhancement and internal artifacts were also analyzed. A Friedman test was used for multiple statistical comparisons of the four techniques for all parameters. Compound imaging was significantly superior to fundamental imaging regarding lesion conspicuity, margin sharpness, and overall quality (P<0.05). For posterior enhancement and internal artifacts within the cyst, harmonic ultrasonography (US) was significantly better than fundamental US (P<0.05). For evaluating focal hepatic lesions on US, compound imaging provided better lesion conspicuity, better margin sharpness, and better overall image quality than fundamental imaging did. Tissue harmonic imaging also provided better posterior enhancement and fewer internal artifacts of the cyst than fundamental imaging.
Department of Radiology, Seoul National University College of Medicine, 28, Yongon-dong, Chongno-gu, Seoul, 110-744, South Korea.
Se Hyung
SH
Kim
Jeong Min
JM
Lee
Kwang Gi
KG
Kim
Jong Hyo
JH
Kim
Joon Koo
JK
Han
Jae Young
JY
Lee
Byung Ihn
BI
Choi
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016477:Artifacts; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D020518:Focal Nodular Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015588:Observer Variation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional / Q000379:methods*