title: [Sonography of the liver following CT staging of patients with lung cancer: a retrospective analysis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver lesions are frequently detected in the CT staging of lung cancer patients and may require further investigation. The aim of our study was to assess the value of an ultrasound (US) examination of the liver in addition to routine CT staging.
  
  
  METHODS
  In this retrospective study we included 174 consecutive patients with lung cancer who underwent US of the liver in addition to contrast-enhanced CT of the thorax and upper abdomen. The reports of the examinations were evaluated for the presence of liver lesions. Based on CT and US standard criteria, liver lesions were grouped into unequivocal cysts, hemangiomas, metastases and undefined lesions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With CT, liver lesions were detected in 56 / 174 patients (32 %). These included 24 cysts in 11 patients, 2 hemangiomas in 2 patients and 18 patients with liver metastases. In 31 patients, 66 small (< 1.5 cm) hypodense lesions were detected, which could not be further defined by CT. Using US, 21 of these 66 liver lesions were confirmed as benign (cysts, hemangiomas), and two lesions were diagnosed as metastases. In 2 patients US revealed metastases that were not visible on the CT scans.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The study demonstrates that a complementary US of the liver in patients with lung cancer may reveal information relevant for treatment. Therefore, liver US may play an important role in the staging of lung cancer. When equivocal small liver lesions are detected with CT, a complementary US examination may help to diagnose these lesions or detect metastases not visible on the single-phase staging CT of the liver.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Röntgendiagnostik, Otto-Wagner-Spital, Wien.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Prosch
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Oschatz
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Eisenhuber
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gahleitner
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hochmair
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mashaal
authors.forename: G H
authors.initials: GH
authors.lastname: Mostbeck
mesh_terms: D000005:Abdomen / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D000328:Adult; D002289:Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000453:epidemiology; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D009367:Neoplasm Staging; D015995:Prevalence; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013909:Thorax / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D014463:Ultrasonography