title: [Focal liver lesions in patients with malignant haematological disease: value of B-mode ultrasound in comparison to contrast-enhanced ultrasound--a retrospective study with N = 61 patients].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the retrospective study is to illustrate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the dignity assessment of focal liver lesions compared to B-mode ultrasound (US) in patients with malignant haematological diseases (MHD).
  
  
  METHODS
  Focal liver lesions were diagnosed in n = 61 patients (24 female, 37 male) with MHD via US within the period from November 2005 to February 2009. After the presentation of a not clearly cystic liver lesion (n = 48), CEUS was performed and documented in addition to US. The underlying diagnoses were stem cell diseases (n = 31) and malignant lymphomas (n = 30). The detection of a lesion was documented in n = 17 patients with at this time point primary diagnosed haematological disease, n = 13 patients were in relapse and n = 31 in complete remission (CR). The diagnoses of the liver pathology were confirmed through sonographic follow-up studies and clinical courses (n = 22), CT/MRI (n = 18) and histology (n = 21).
  
  
  RESULTS
  In total 67 % of the cases were diagnosed as benign and 33 % as malignant liver lesions. Regarding the therapeutic state, the numbers of benign lesions differ from those of malignant lesions: primary diagnosis 53 vs. 47 %, relapse 69 vs. 31 %, CR 90 vs. 10 %. The frequency distributions of benign versus malignant lesions were 94 vs. 6 % in patients with stem cell diseases and 40 vs. 60 % in patients with malignant lymphomas. Regarding dignity assessment of focal liver lesions, CEUS showed a sensitivity of 90 vs. 45 % and specificity of 96 vs. 18 % (p < 0.0001) compared to US.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEUS possesses a significant diagnostic value in the characterization of focal liver lesions and should be used in the context of staging procedures in patients with MHD.
authors.affiliation: Hämatologie, Onkologie und Immunologie, Philipps-Universität Marburg und Universitätsklinikum Gießen und Marburg GmbH, Standort Marburg, Marburg/Lahn, Germany. noki80@gmx.de
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Heller
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Görg
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D020518:Focal Nodular Hyperplasia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology*; D019337:Hematologic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D010743:Phospholipids; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride