Usefulness of the post-vascular phase of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with sonazoid in the evaluation of gross types of hepatocellular carcinoma.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to assess the usefulness of post-vascular phase (PVP) images of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CE-US) in the evaluation of the gross types of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) that is closely related to the malignant potential of the tumor.


METHODS
A total of 29 patients with 40 HCCs of <5 cm in diameter, who underwent hepatic resection, were enrolled. The gross type of the tumor was evaluated using real-time scanning during the PVP of CE-US with Sonazoid prior to surgery. The tumors were classified into three types based on the macroscopic classification of the Liver Cancer Study Group of Japan: single nodular (SN) type, single nodular with extranodular growth (SNEG) type, and confluent multinodular (CMN) type. The ability of CE-US to correctly depict the gross type of HCC was evaluated.


RESULTS
26 tumors were macroscopically diagnosed as the SN type, 11 tumors as the SNEG type, and 3 tumors as the CMN type. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CE-US were 96, 80 and 90%, respectively.


CONCLUSIONS
The PVP image of CE-US with Sonazoid is a useful tool in the evaluation of the gross type of HCC and is considered essential in deciding treatment strategy.
Hatanaka
Kinuyo
K
Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Internal Medicine, Kinki University School of Medicine, Osaka, Japan.
Chung
Hobyung
H
Kudo
Masatoshi
M
Haji
Seiji
S
Minami
Yasunori
Y
Maekawa
Kiyoshi
K
Hayaishi
Sousuke
S
Nagai
Tomoyuki
T
Takita
Masahiro
M
Kudo
Kanae
K
Ueda
Taisuke
T
Tatsumi
Chie
C
Kitai
Satoshi
S
Ishikawa
Emi
E
Yada
Norihisa
N
Inoue
Tatsuo
T
Hagiwara
Satoru
S
Ueshima
Kazuomi
K
D000368:Aged; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D006801:Humans; D007501:Iron; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010087:Oxides; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography
D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D010087:Oxides; C069727:Sonazoid; D007501:Iron