Prospective study of differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors by pattern-based classification of contrast-enhanced sonography.
OBJECTIVE
To prospectively evaluate the usefulness of a pattern-based classification of contrast-enhanced sonographic findings for differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors.


METHODS
We evaluated the enhancement pattern of the contrast-enhanced sonography images in 586 patients with 586 hepatic lesions, consisting of 383 hepatocellular carcinomas, 89 metastases, and 114 hemangiomas. After injecting a galactose-palmitic acid contrast agent, lesions were scanned by contrast-enhanced harmonic gray-scale sonography in three phases: arterial, portal, and late. The enhancement patterns of the initial 303 lesions were classified retrospectively, and multiple logistic regression analysis was used to identify enhancement patterns that allowed differentiation between hepatic tumors. We then used the pattern-based classification of enhancement we had retrospectively devised to prospectively diagnose 283 liver tumors.


RESULTS
Seven enhancement patterns were found to be significant predictors of different hepatic tumors. The presence of homogeneous or heterogeneous enhancement both in the arterial and portal phase was the typical enhancement pattern for hepatocellular carcinoma, while the presence of peritumoral vessels in the arterial phase and ring enhancement or a perfusion defect in the portal phase was the typical enhancement pattern for metastases, and the presence of peripheral nodular enhancement both in the arterial and portal phase was the typical enhancement pattern for hemangioma. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of prospective diagnosis based on the combinations of enhancement patterns, respectively, were 93.2%, 96.2%, and 94.0% for hepatocellular carcinoma, 87.9%, 99.6%, and 98.2% for metastasis, and 95.6%, 94.1%, and 94.3% for hemangioma.


CONCLUSIONS
The pattern-based classification of the contrast-enhanced sonographic findings is useful for differentiating among hepatic tumors.
Numata
Kazushi
K
Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, 4-57 Urafunecho, Minami-ku, Yokohama 232-0024, Japan. kz-numa@urahp.yokohama-cu.ac.jp
Isozaki
Tetsuo
T
Morimoto
Manabu
M
Sugimori
Kazuya
K
Kunisaki
Reiko
R
Morizane
Toshio
T
Tanaka
Katsuaki
K
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D005690:Galactose; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000145:classification / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D045423:Microbubbles; D008875:Middle Aged; D009362:Neoplasm Metastasis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
D003287:Contrast Media; D019308:Palmitic Acid; D005690:Galactose