title: Comparison of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with grey-scale ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography in diagnosing focal fatty liver infiltrations and focal fatty sparing.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Fatty liver infiltrations and fatty sparing impair diagnostic performance of grey-scale ultrasonography in differentiating malignant and benign focal liver lesions. In the study, we present our experience in diagnosing focal fatty liver infiltrations and focal fatty sparing with contrastenhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in comparison to grey-scale ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT).
  
  
  METHODS
  The retrospective study group (n=82 patients), included 44 (53.7%) men, 38 (46.3%) women (aged 29- 81 years, mean 55.8 years) with 48 focal fatty liver infiltrations and 34 focal fatty sparing. All patients underwent grey-scale ultrasonography (US), CEUS using SonoVue® and CECT executed within the 7 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With US, CEUS and CECT focal fatty liver infiltrations were diagnosed in 22, 46 and 44 cases, respectively. The following values were obtained: sensitivity - 45.8%, 95.8% and 91.7%, specificity - 100% for all, accuracy - 95.2%, 99.6% and 99.3%, respectively. Focal fatty sparing was diagnosed in 16, 31 and 30 cases, respectively. The following values were obtained: sensitivity - 47.1%, 91.2% and 88.2%, specificity - 99.8%, 100% and 100%, accuracy - 95.6%, 99.4% and 99.3%, respectively. No statistically significant differences were found in sensitivity of diagnosing focal fatty liver infiltrations and focal fatty liver sparing between CEUS and CECT. Sensitivity of grey-scale ultrasonography was significantly lower when compared to those of CEUS and CECT (p<0.001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEUS is as sensitive as CECT in focal fatty infiltrations and focal fatty sparing diagnosing. However, CEUS provides more information than CECT about the vasculature and enhancement pattern of focal fatty liver infiltrations.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Janica
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ustymowicz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lukasiewicz
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Panasiuk
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Niemcunowicz-Janica
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Turecka-Kulesza
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Lebkowska
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D003287:Contrast Media; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010743:Phospholipids; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride