title: Contrast- and non-contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) findings of hepatic metastasis from malignant pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the findings of hepatic metastases from malignant pheochromocytoma/paraganglioma on non-contrast-enhanced and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) and compare them with other imaging modalities.
  
  
  METHODS
  US was performed on eight patients with 65 hepatic metastases. Non-contrast computed tomography (CT), meta-iodo-benzyl-guanidine scintigraphy ((123)I-MIBG), and fluorine-18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET) were also performed. Magnetic resonance imaging, including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), was performed on six patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Forty of the 65 lesions (61.5%) were detected on non-contrast-enhanced US: 27 were hyperechoic (67.5%), 10 were hypoechoic (25.0%), and 3 (7.5%) were isoechoic. Sixteen of 17 lesions appeared hypervascular in the arterial phase of dynamic contrast-enhanced US. On delayed images, contrast-enhanced US demonstrated 64 of 65 metastatic tumors (98.5%), and 51 of them were delineated as enhancement defects. Non-contrast-enhanced CT revealed 61 (93.8%) of 65, FDG-PET revealed 44 (67.7%) of 65, and DWI revealed 30 (90.9%) of 33. On (123)I-MIBG scintigraphy, seven patients had abnormal uptakes in the liver, suggesting metastases. There were no significant differences between the detectability of US and other modalities.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  On contrast-enhanced US, nearly all hepatic metastases were delineated. Most lesions showed hypervascularity on dynamic contrast-enhanced US, suggesting the usefulness of this technique.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, Gunma University Hospital, 3-39-15 Showa-machi, Maebashi, 371-8511, Japan. be_shappy@yahoo.co.jp
authors.forename: Sachiko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakano
authors.forename: Yoshito
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsushima
authors.forename: Tetsuya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Higuchi
authors.forename: Ayako
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Taketomi-Takahashi
authors.forename: Makoto
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Amanuma
mesh_terms: D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine; D000310:Adrenal Gland Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010235:Paraganglioma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D010673:Pheochromocytoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000556:secondary*; D049268:Positron-Emission Tomography / Q000379:methods; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D019275:Radiopharmaceuticals; D019788:Fluorodeoxyglucose F18; D019797:3-Iodobenzylguanidine