Ultrasonogram of hepatocellular carcinoma is associated with outcome after radiofrequency ablation.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the association between B-mode ultrasound classification of small hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and outcome after radiofrequency ablation (RFA).


METHODS
Ninety-seven cases of HCC treated using RFA between April 2001 and March 2006 were reviewed. Ultrasound images were classified as follows: type 1, with halo (n = 29); and type 2, without halo (n = 68). Type 2 was further categorized into three subgroups: type 2a, homogenous hyperechoic (n = 9); type 2b, hypoechoic with smooth margins (n = 43); and type 2c (n = 16), hypoechoic with irregular or unclear margins. Patients with type 2a HCC were excluded from analysis due to the small number of cases.


RESULTS
Two year recurrence rates for type 2b, type 1 and type 2c were 26%, 42% and 69%, respectively, with significant differences between type 2b and type 2c (P < 0.01), and between type 1 and type 2c (P < 0.05). Five year survival rates were 89%, 43% and 65%, respectively. Survival was significantly longer for type 2b than for other types (type 1 vs type 2b, P < 0.01; type 2b vs type 2c, P < 0.05). On univariate analysis, factors contributing to recurrence were number of tumors, tumor stage, serum level of lens culinaris agglutinin-reactive alpha-fetoprotein and ultrasound classification (P < 0.05). Factors contributing to survival were tumor stage and ultrasound classification (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis identified ultrasound classification as the only factor independently associated with both recurrence and survival (P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
B-mode ultrasound classification of small HCC is a predictive factor for outcome after RFA.
Kosaku Moribata, Hideyuki Tamai, Naoki Shingaki, Yoshiyuki Mori, Tatsuya Shiraki, Shotaro Enomoto, Hisanobu Deguchi, Kazuki Ueda, Izumi Inoue, Takao Maekita, Mikitaka Iguchi, Masao Ichinose, Second Department of Internal Medicine, Wakayama Medical University, Wakayama 641-0012, Japan.
Kosaku
K
Moribata
Hideyuki
H
Tamai
Naoki
N
Shingaki
Yoshiyuki
Y
Mori
Tatsuya
T
Shiraki
Shotaro
S
Enomoto
Hisanobu
H
Deguchi
Kazuki
K
Ueda
Izumi
I
Inoue
Takao
T
Maekita
Mikitaka
M
Iguchi
Masao
M
Ichinose
B-mode ultrasound; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Prognosis; Radiofrequency ablation; Recurrence