[Clinical applications of imaging reconstruction by virtual sonography].
OBJECTIVE
One of the pitfalls in managing multiple liver tumors is the difficulty in identifying individual tumors on ultrasonography. Computed tomography (CT)-assisted virtual sonography has been shown to improve sonographic diagnosis, however it requires additional equipment and software. We have developed a simple reconstruction method of virtual sonography (SRVS).


METHODS
We reconstructed SRVS mimicking ultrasonographic images, utilizing a workstation software attached to a multi-detector row CT system without any additional program.


RESULTS
We have performed SRVS in 32 patients with 41 liver tumors that could hardly be identify on ultrasonography. SRVS assisted the identification of malignant form non-pathologic ones and thereby contributed to the appropriate clinical strategy including RFA (18 tumors), liver biopsy (2 tumors), other therapies (4 tumors) and follow-up (17 tumors).


CONCLUSIONS
We have developed virtual sonography using conventional CT software. SRVS seems useful in the clinical practice in managing liver tumors.
Mori
Akihiro
A
Department of Gastroenterology, Inuyama Chuo Hospital.
Oohashi
Noritsugu
N
Maruyama
Takako
T
Tatebe
Hideharu
H
Fushimi
Nobutoshi
N
Asano
Takayuki
T
Inoue
Hiroshi
H
Okuno
Masataka
M
D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D014584:User-Computer Interface