[Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.


METHODS
A sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble ultrasound contrast agent and a continuous real-time imaging technique of contrast pulse sequencing were used. Normal gastric wall was examined by CEUS in 8 healthy volunteers and the results were compared with the findings on multislice computed tomography. Sixty-two patients with gastric cancer proved by biopsies who received preoperative CEUS examination were involved in this study, and the CEUS result was compared with postoperative pathological findings.


RESULTS
The normal gastric wall presented a one-layer structure in the portal venous phase and a three-layer structure in the arterial and equilibrium phase including a slightly hyper-enhanced inner layer, a hypo-enhanced intermediate layer, and a markedly hyper-enhanced outer layer, which corresponded histologically to the mucosal, submucosal, and muscular-serosal layer, respectively. The accuracy of transabdominal ultrasonography and CEUS in determining the T stage of gastric cancer was 72.9% and 88.1% respectively, and the difference was statistically significant (chi(2)=4.37, P=0.036).


CONCLUSIONS
CEUS shows the normal gastric wall as a one- or a three-layer structure, which provides a theory base for CEUS in preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer. CEUS is a useful diagnostic method for preoperative T-staging of gastric cancer.
Cui
Jian
J
Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Lin'an Municipal People's Hospital, Zhejiang, Lin'an, China.
Yang
Yong-ming
YM
Ding
Li-jun
LJ
Ouyang
Hong
H
Ye
Huai-song
HS
Ruan
Hua-juan
HJ
Huang
Pin-tong
PT
Zheng
Zhi-qiang
ZQ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009367:Neoplasm Staging / Q000379:methods*; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
D003287:Contrast Media; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride