Helical CT assessment on hilar cholangiocarcinoma: comparison value of arterial phase and portovenous phase correlation.
OBJECTIVE
To study the correlation between the findings of hilar cholangiocarcinoma in hepatic arterial phase and portal venous phase. Attention will focus on whether the arterial phase imaging shows more detail than portal phase imaging.


METHODS
Descriptive study design with retrospective data collection in Srinagarind Hospital, Khon Kaen University. CT scans of the upper abdomen of 34 patients with pathologically proven hilar cholangiocarcinoma between 2002 and 2004 were reviewed for: (1) characteristic of the tumor; (2) adenopathy, (3) arterial involvement, (4) venous involvement, and (5) degree of biliary involvement on both the hepatic arterial and portal venous phases.


RESULTS
The correlation was high for characteristics of the tumor, the tumor enhancement pattern, and detection of adenopathy, degree of biliary involvement, and arterial involvement, but low for portal venous involvement which the portal venous phase detected better than the hepatic arterial phase.


CONCLUSIONS
In hilar type cholangiocarcinoma, the portal venous phase yielded the best findings. Furthermore, it showed all findings that were seen in the hepatic arterial phase. According to the present study, the authors suggest doing a pre-contrast study then a portal venous phase imaging for evaluation and diagnosis of hilar type cholangiocarcinoma. There is no necessity to perform hepatic arterial phase in hilar cholangiocarcinoma.
Aphinives
Chalida
C
Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen, Thailand. c_aphinives@yahoo.com
Tumsatan
Panaya
P
Srinakarin
Jiraporn
J
Laopaiboon
Vallop
V
Aphinives
Potchavit
P
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D036542:Tomography, Spiral Computed / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods