Anatomical variation of the liver with elongated left lobe may be a trap for the ultrasound detection of focal liver lesion.
OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact of anatomical variations of the elongated left lobe of the liver on the ultrasound detection of focal liver lesions.


METHODS
We evaluated, by ultrasonography (US), 296 patients with elongated left lobe of the liver and 30 patients with focal lesions in the normal length left lobe of the liver. Those patients had undergone prior computed tomography (CT) evaluation.


RESULTS
Of the 296 patients evaluated, 34 patients had focal lesions (the size range 11- 20 mm) in the distal region of the elongated left lobe of the liver, and none of the lesions was visualized at US examination (p<0.001). All the focal lesions in the normal length left lobe of the liver of the 30 patients were visualized by US without significant difference between the dimensions established by CT and US (p=0.136).


CONCLUSIONS
Focal lesions in the distal region of elongated left lobe of the liver are difficult to be detected by conventional US examination and the main reason is the impact of anatomical localization on the examination protocol.
Department of Ultrasound Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China. E-mail: wsz074@yahoo.com.cn.
Size
S
Wu
Department of Radiology, Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China.
Rong
R
Tu
Department of Ultrasound Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China.
Guangqing
G
Liu
Department of Ultrasound Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China.
Ruixia
R
Nan
Department of Ultrasound Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China.
Ying
Y
Guan
Department of Ultrasound Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China.
Enhai
E
Zheng
Department of Ultrasound Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College, Haikou, China.
Yanyan
Y
Zhao
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D005188:False Negative Reactions; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008099:Liver / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography; D055815:Young Adult