Clinical utility of doppler ultrasonography in evaluation of early therapeutic efficacy after transcatheter arterial embolization in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma.
This study was undertaken to determine the value of Doppler ultrasonography in the early evaluation of therapeutic efficacy of hepatocellular carcinoma after transcatheter arterial embolization (TAE). Fifty-two nodules in which tumor vascularity had been detected by Doppler ultrasonography before TAE were examined in 41 patients. Doppler signals were evaluated 1 week after TAE, and the results were compared with tumor vascularity as determined by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (dynamic MRI), which was used as the gold standard. The sonographic signal disappeared in 41 (79%) of the 52 nodules and remained in 11 (21%). All nodules in which intratumor vascularity had been detected showed positive stain to dynamic MRI. Four of 41 nodules in which the sonographic signal disappeard showed positive stain on dynamic MRI. The Sensitivity of Doppler ultrasonography was 73%; specificity, 100%; and accuracy, 92%. Flow signal in deeply (≥5 cm) located small (<3 cm) nodules tended to be more difficult to detect. We conclude that Doppler ultrasonography warrants use after TAE in the early evaluation as a specific and noninvasive imaging technique.
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Toshio
T
Hibi
Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Takashi
T
Kumada
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Kenji
K
Takeshima
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Masuhiro
M
Ito
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Takahiro
T
Noda
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Shigemasa
S
Goto
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Fumiyoshi
F
Sugita
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Toshi
T
Sassa
Department of Morphologic Diagnosis, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Hideo
H
Ichikawa
Department of Gastroenterology, Ogaki Municipal Hospital, 4-86 Minaminokawa-cho, 503-8502, Ogaki-shi Gifu, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Nakano
Doppler ultrasonography; dynamic magnetic resonance imaging; hepatocellular carcinoma; transcatheter arterial embolization