title: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound and computerized tomography perfusion imaging of a liver fibrosis-early cirrhosis in dogs.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess liver fibrosis stages in a liver fibrosis-early cirrhosis model in dogs, the clinical efficiency of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and computed tomography (CT) perfusion imaging were compared.
  
  
  METHODS
  Hepatic vein arriving time (HVAT), hepatic artery arriving time, and hepatic artery to vein transit time (HA-VTT) were measured on CEUS. Total liver perfusion (TLP), portal vein perfusion (PVP), hepatic artery perfusion, and hepatic perfusion index (HPI) were measured on CT perfusion imaging. Histologic examination of liver specimens of the animals was performed to assess the fibrosis stage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  For assessment of liver fibrosis, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CEUS indexes HVAT and HA-VTT were 0.865 and 0.930, respectively; the perfusion CT indexes TLP, PVP, and HPI were 0.797, 0.800, and 0.220, respectively; the serological index hyaluronic acid was 0.793. While for assessment of early cirrhosis, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of CEUS indexes HVAT and HA-VTT were 0.915 and 0.948, respectively; the perfusion CT indexes TLP, PVP, and HPI were 0.737, 0.765, and 0.218, respectively; the serological index hyaluronic acid was 0.627.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study showed that both CEUS and CT perfusion imaging have the potential to be complementary imaging tools in the evaluation of liver fibrosis. While CEUS is the better choice and the index HA-VTT can be considered as non-invasive semi-quantitative indexes for diagnosing liver fibrosis and early cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Huanghui
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China. junliu201500@sina.com.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Yaqin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Jian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Qiongjuan
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Tong
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Yuequn
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, The Third Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, Changsha, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018450:Disease Progression; D004285:Dogs; D005260:Female; D006499:Hepatic Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006503:Hepatic Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D061705:Image-Guided Biopsy / Q000379:methods; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed / Q000379:methods; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media
keywords: computer tomography (CT); contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS); liver fibrosis; perfusion