title: Quantitative Assessment of Tissue Perfusion in Hepatocellular Carcinoma Using Perflubutane Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography: A Preliminary Study.
abstract: Our purpose in this study was to assess the relationship between contrast signal intensity (CI) and concentration of perflubutane microbubbles in a phantom experiment, and to examine the feasibility of this technique for quantitative analysis of vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Microbubble solutions of the perflubutane contrast agent were prepared by mixing with purified water. We examined the relationship between CI in dB units and the concentration. Moreover, seven HCC patients were examined using real-time dynamic contrast imaging. The perfusion index was calculated from time-intensity curves generated for both HCC and surrounding liver parenchyma. We observed a linear relationship between the CIdB and the concentration in the phantom study and a higher perfusion index in the HCC lesions relative to the surrounding liver parenchyma. Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with perflubutane microbubbles, which exhibit linear and temporally stable characteristics under continuous ultrasound exposure, allows the collection of quantitative hemodynamic information regarding HCC.
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80, Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 9200942, Japan. nohno@med.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
authors: Naoki
authors: N
authors: Ohno
authors: Faculty of Health Sciences, Institute of Medical, Pharmaceutical and Health Sciences, Kanazawa University, 5-11-80, Kodatsuno, Kanazawa, Ishikawa 9200942, Japan. ramiyati@mhs.mp.kanazawa-u.ac.jp.
authors: Tosiaki
authors: T
authors: Miyati
authors: Department of Radiology, Tonami General Hospital, 16-1, Shintomicho, Tonami, Toyama 9391395, Japan. karkulaiset.0323@gmail.com.
authors: Makiko
authors: M
authors: Yamashita
authors: Department of Radiology, Tonami General Hospital, 16-1, Shintomicho, Tonami, Toyama 9391395, Japan. mayu.narikawa@med.tonami.toyama.jp.
authors: Mayu
authors: M
authors: Narikawa
keywords: contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS); hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC); low mechanical index; perflubutane; perfusion index