Ring-shaped appearance in liver-specific image with Levovist: a characteristic enhancement pattern for hypervascular benign nodule in the liver of heavy drinkers.
OBJECTIVE
The aim was to clarify the features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with Levovist for diagnosis of hypervascular benign nodules in the liver of heavy drinkers.


METHODS
Seven heavy drinkers with hypervascular nodules in the liver were studied. Findings of CEUS with Levovist (wide-band Doppler, 7/7), contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT, 7/7) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, 5/7) were compared for one nodule in each patient.


RESULTS
Diagnosis of all seven nodules on CECT was HCC, whereas pathological results were HCC for four nodules and benign lesion for three nodules. The former four showed compatible findings for HCC on CEUS (4/4) and MRI (2/4). However, the latter three showed characteristic liver-specific sonograms with a ring-shaped appearance--peripheral enhancement with a central non-enhanced area. Two of the three nodules showed decreased signal-intensity in the periphery on SPIO-enhanced MRI.


CONCLUSIONS
The ring-shaped appearance on liver-specific sonograms with Levovist may be a useful sign for the differential diagnosis of hypervascular benign nodule from HCC in heavy drinkers.
Maruyama
Hitoshi
H
Department of Medicine and Clinical Oncology, Chiba University Graduate School of Medicine, Chiba, Japan. maru-cib@umin.ac.jp
Matsutani
Shoichi
S
Kondo
Fukuo
F
Yoshizumi
Hiroaki
H
Kobayashi
Satoshi
S
Okugawa
Hidehiro
H
Ebara
Masaaki
M
Saisho
Hiromitsu
H
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000175:diagnosis; D003287:Contrast Media; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011134:Polysaccharides; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins / Q000378:metabolism
D003287:Contrast Media; D011134:Polysaccharides; D000509:alpha-Fetoproteins; C059891:SHU 508