title: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: correlation with pathological examination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the correlation between enhancement patterns of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and pathological findings.
  
  
  METHODS
  The CEUS enhancement patterns of 40 pathologically proven ICC lesions were retrospectively analysed. Pathologically, the degree of tumour cell and fibrosis distribution in the lesion was semi-quantitatively evaluated.
  
  
  RESULTS
  4 enhancement patterns were observed in the arterial phase for 32 mass-forming ICCs: peripheral rim-like hyperenhancement (n=19); heterogeneous hyperenhancement (n=6); homogeneous hyperenhancement (n=3); and heterogeneous hypo-enhancement (n=4). Among the four enhancement patterns, the differences in tumour cell distribution were statistically significant (p<0.05). The hyperenhancing area on CEUS corresponded to more tumour cells for mass-forming ICCs. Heterogeneous hyperenhancement (n=2) and heterogeneous hypo-enhancement (n=2) were observed in the arterial phase for four periductal infiltrating ICCs. In this subtype, fibrosis was more commonly found in the lesions. Heterogeneous hyperenhancement (n=1) and homogeneous hyperenhancement (n=3) were observed in the arterial phase for four intraductal growing ICCs. This subtype tended to have abundant tumour cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The CEUS findings of ICC relate to the degree of carcinoma cell proliferation at pathological examination. Hyperenhancing areas in the tumour always indicated increased density of cancer cells.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Ultrasound, Tenth People's Hospital of Tongji University & Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Medical Imaging Center of Tongji University, Shanghai, China. xuhuixiong@hotmail.com
authors.forename: H-X
authors.initials: HX
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: L-D
authors.initials: LD
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: L-N
authors.initials: LN
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Y-F
authors.initials: YF
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: L-H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001650:Bile Duct Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D001653:Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic / Q000473:pathology*; D018281:Cholangiocarcinoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D047368:Tumor Burden; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride