Assessment of image quality of contrast-enhanced power doppler imaging in hepatocellular carcinoma with the personal ultrasound imager: Comparison with the conventional machine.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging with the personal ultrasound imager in depicting intratumoral vascularity in hepatocellular carcinoma.


METHODS
Contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging was used to examine 52 hepatocellular carcinoma nodules in 29 patients, using both the personal ultrasound imager and the conventional ultrasound machine in combination with intravenous injection of Levovist(®). Results obtained using dynamic CT were used as the gold standard. The ability of the personal ultrasound imager to detect intratumoral vascularity was compared with that of the conventional ultrasound machine, and the usefulness of the personal ultrasound imager in assessing therapeutic effect after nonsurgical treatment was compared with that of dynamic CT at the same time.


RESULTS
The personal ultrasound imager and the conventional ultrasound machine, using the fundamental power Doppler imaging mode (p=0.13) and contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging mode (p=0.41), did not differ significantly in depicting the vascularity of the 52 hepatocellular carcinomas. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of contrast-enhanced power Doppler imaging on the personal ultrasound imager were 95.5%, 87.5%, and 94.2%, respectively, in close agreement with results obtained using dynamic CT. After the 22 hepatocellular carcinomas were treated, the personal ultrasound imager provided diagnostic accuracy of 90.9% on residual tumors when compared with results obtained by dynamic CT, and results obtained using the conventional ultrasound machine were similar.


CONCLUSIONS
The highly portable personal ultrasound imager using Levovist(®)-enhanced power Doppler imaging can clearly depict the intratumoral vascularity of hepatocellular carcinoma nodules before and after treatment, achieving results very close to those obtained using the conventional diagnostic ultrasound machine. The personal ultrasound imager is an alternative to the conventional ultrasound machine for depicting tumor vascularity.
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.|Department of Ultrasound, Sun Yat-Sen University of Medical Science Memorial Hospital, 107 Yanjianxi Road, 510120, Guangzhou, China.
Yan Ling
YL
Wen
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Masatoshi
M
Kudo
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Yasunori
Y
Minami
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Hobyung
H
Chung
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Yoichiro
Y
Suetomi
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Hirokazu
H
Onda
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Masayuki
M
Kitano
Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Toshihiko
T
Kawasaki
Abdominal Ultrasound Unit, Kinki University School of Medicine, 377-2, Ohno-higashi, 589-8511, Osaka-Sayama, Osaka, Japan.
Kiyoshi
K
Maekawa
contrast medium; hepatocellular carcinoma; power Doppler imaging; ultrasound