Efficacy of contrast enhanced grey scale ultrasound in characterisation of hepatic focal lesions: A pilot study.
BACKGROUND
Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has recently gained widespread acceptance as an adjunct to conventional grey scale ultrasound. The present pilot study was undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of this technique in characterisation of hepatic focal lesions.


METHODS
Adult patients who had at least one focal liver lesion underwent ultrasound evaluation in regular and contrast mode before and after intravenous administration of sulphur hexafluoride. The diagnoses were confirmed by comparison with a reference standard (multidetector CT), response to treatment or pathological correlation.


RESULTS
The rate of correct diagnosis for unenhanced ultrasound was 54%, CEUS was 72% and multidetector CT (MDCT) was 92%. A comparison of unenhanced ultrasound versus CEUS using the McNemar test yielded a p value of 0.0704 (>0.05). However, comparison of CEUS versus MDCT using the McNemar test yielded a p value of 0.0265 (<0.05). Additionally, comparison of unenhanced ultrasound versus MDCT using the McNemar test yielded a p value of <0.0001.


CONCLUSIONS
CEUS increases diagnostic efficacy over unenhanced ultrasound but does not have any significant advantages over MDCT. Currently it may be used as a problem solving tool in atypical haemangiomas, echogenic focal liver lesions, contrast sensitivity and to avoid multiple studies utilising ionising radiation.
Classified Specialist (Radiodiagnosis), INHS Asvini, Colaba, Mumbai 400005, India.
P
P
Joshi
Senior Advisor (Radiodiagnosis), Command Hospital (Air Force), Bangalore 560007, India.
R A
RA
George
Senior Advisor (Surgery and Surgical Oncology), Army Hospital (R&R), Delhi Cantt, India.
A K
AK
Tyagi
Classified Specialist (Pathology), Command Hospital (Northern Command), C/o 56 APO, India.
Anamika
A
Sinha
Contrast enhanced ultrasound; Contrast media; Hepatic focal lesions