title: [Contrast enhanced ultrasound of the liver--state of the art].
abstract: The diagnostic process, differential diagnosis and continuing routine follow-up of patients with focal liver lesions require an easily available, reliable and cost-effective diagnostic method. Ultrasound is a widely used method for the detection of liver lesions, but it has generally been regarded as inferior to contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Recent advances in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) have improved the detection rate to a level similar to that attained with CT and MRI. Because of the high spatial resolution of ultrasound, CEUS can also detect metastases smaller than 1 cm. This has been demonstrated in several single-centre studies and recently also a European multi-centre study. This review focuses on the recent advances of CEUS in detecting and characterizing focal liver lesions.
authors.affiliation: Innere Medizin 2, Caritas-Krankenhaus Bad Mergentheim, Germany. christoph.dietrich@ckbm.de
authors.forename: C F
authors.initials: CF
authors.lastname: Dietrich
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Schreiber-Dietrich
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Schuessler
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ignee
mesh_terms: D003287:Contrast Media / Q000008:administration & dosage; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media