title: Focal liver lesions: contrast-enhanced ultrasound.
abstract: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) represents a significant breakthrough in sonography and it is being increasingly used for the evaluation of focal liver lesions (FLLs). The unique feature of CEUS of non-invasively assessing in real-time liver perfusion throughout the vascular phase has led to a dramatic improvement in diagnostic accuracy of US in either detection or characterization of FLLs, as well as in the guidance and evaluation of response of therapeutic procedures. Currently, CEUS is included as a part of the suggested diagnostic work-up of FLLs, resulting in a better patient management and cost-effective therapy delivering. After a brief description of the basis of different CEUS techniques, contrast-enhancement patterns of different types of benign and malignant FLLs, among hepatic pseudolesions, will be described and discussed on the basis of our experience and literature data. At the same time, the most recent concepts and the use of CEUS in different clinical settings will be presented.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, University of Palermo, Via Del Vespro 127, Palermo, 90129, Italy. tv.bartolotta@unipa.it
authors.forename: Tommaso Vincenzo
authors.initials: TV
authors.lastname: Bartolotta
authors.forename: Adele
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taibbi
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midiri
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lagalla
mesh_terms: D018248:Adenoma, Liver Cell / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D004444:Echinococcosis, Hepatic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D020518:Focal Nodular Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006391:Hemangioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement; D008100:Liver Abscess / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000556:secondary; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed