title: High-intensity focused ultrasound ablation assisted using color Doppler imaging for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We evaluated the usefulness of color Doppler flow imaging to compensate for the inadequate resolution of the ultrasound (US) monitoring during high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  US-guided HIFU ablation assisted using color Doppler flow imaging was performed in 11 patients with small HCC (<3 lesions, <3 cm in diameter). The HIFU system (Chongqing Haifu Tech) was used under US guidance. Color Doppler sonographic studies were performed using an HIFU 6150S US imaging unit system and a 2.7-MHz electronic convex probe.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The color Doppler images were used because of the influence of multi-reflections and the emergence of hyperecho. In 1 of the 11 patients, multi-reflections were responsible for the poor visualization of the tumor. In 10 cases, the tumor was poorly visualized because of the emergence of a hyperecho. In these cases, the ability to identify the original tumor location on the monitor by referencing the color Doppler images of the portal vein and the hepatic vein was very useful. HIFU treatments were successfully performed in all 11 patients with the assistance of color Doppler imaging.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Color Doppler imaging is useful for the treatment of HCC using HIFU, compensating for the occasionally poor visualization provided by B-mode conventional US imaging.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterological Center, Yokohama City University Medical Center, 4-57 Urafune-cho, Minami-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa, 232-0024, Japan, fukuhiro1962@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Hiroyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuda
authors.forename: Kazushi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Numata
authors.forename: Akito
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nozaki
authors.forename: Masaaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kondo
authors.forename: Manabu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Morimoto
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maeda
authors.forename: Katsuaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.forename: Masao
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ohto
authors.forename: Ryu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Yoshiharu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ishibashi
authors.forename: Noriyoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Oshima
authors.forename: Ayao
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ito
authors.forename: Hui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.forename: Zhi-Biao
authors.initials: ZB
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D057086:High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound Ablation; D006801:Humans; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D008297:Male; D011169:Portal Vein / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional