Comparing enhancement and washout patterns of hepatic lesions between sonazoid-enhanced ultrasound and contrast-enhanced computed tomography.
OBJECTIVE
To compare sonazoid-enhanced ultrasound (SEUS) and contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) enhancement and washout patterns in hepatic lesions.


METHODS
Enhancement and washout patterns on SEUS were compared with those on CECT for 61 lesions. There were 36 hepatocellular carcinomas, three intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas, three metastatic lesions, eight focal nodular hyperplasias, two angiomyolipomas, and nine undetermined benign lesions. Diagnosis was based on histopathology, or CECT and tumor markers, or findings on 2-year follow-up.


RESULTS
All 61 lesions (100%) showed arterial enhancement on both SEUS and CECT. The "washout/no washout" agreement between SEUS and CECT for the 61 lesions was 93.4% (κ coefficient: 0.816). Of the 42 malignant lesions, 38 lesions (90.5%) showed washout on both SEUS and CECT. The remaining four malignant lesions, of which three lesions contained fibrosis (two intrahepatic cholangiocarcinomas and one scirrhous hepatocellular carcinoma), showed washout on SEUS but not on CECT. For the 19 benign lesions, agreement between SEUS and CECT was 100% (κ coefficient: 1), with seven lesions showing washout with both methods and 12 lesions showing no washout with both methods.


CONCLUSIONS
The overall concordance rate between SEUS and CECT was good, but some differences were seen in the washout patterns of malignant lesions.
Department of Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
Sneha
S
Patel
Department of Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan. saito@ige.twmu.ac.jp.
Akiko
A
Saito
Department of Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
Yuki
Y
Yoneda
Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan.
Toshio
T
Hayano
Department of Medicine, Institute of Gastroenterology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, 8-1 Kawada, Shinjuku, Tokyo, 162-8666, Japan.
Keiko
K
Shiratori
Contrast-enhanced computed tomography; Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver tumors; Sonazoid