title: Contrast-Enhanced Tissue Harmonic Imaging versus Phase Inversion Harmonic Sonographic Imaging for the Delineation of Hepatocellular Carcinomas.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare contrast tissue harmonic imaging (THI) with low mechanical index (MI) and conventional contrast harmonic imaging (CHI) with respect to lesion visibility of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  
  
  METHODS
  One hundred and twenty-five patients (84 men and 41 women, age range 39-94 years, mean age 74 years) with 100 naïve HCCs and 30 lesions after radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for HCC were evaluated. One hundred and four patients had liver cirrhosis of Child-Pugh class A, and the remaining 21 had Child-Pugh class B cirrhosis. The lesion conspicuity and intratumoral echogenicity during the postvascular phase were compared using conventional CHI and contrast THI with low MI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The MI values ranged from 0.20 to 0.30 on conventional CHI and from 0.30 to 0.35 on contrast THI. Regarding HCC lesion conspicuity, contrast THI with low MI was clearer in 79 lesions (60.8%), equal in 34 lesions (26.2%), and less clear in 17 lesions (13.1%) when compared with conventional CHI. The lesion conspicuity with contrast THI was significantly better than that with conventional CHI (p < 0.01). All of the postablative lesions were well delineated in patients who received RFA.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Low-MI contrast THI was superior to conventional CHI with respect to lesion visibility of HCCs and might offer good imaging for the guiding of RFA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Kindai University Faculty of Medicine, Osaka-Sayama, Japan.
authors.forename: Masashi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kono
authors.forename: Yasunori
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Mina
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Iwanishi
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Minami
authors.forename: Hirokazu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Chishina
authors.forename: Tadaaki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Arizumi
authors.forename: Yoriaki
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Komeda
authors.forename: Toshiharu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sakurai
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Takita
authors.forename: Norihisa
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yada
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ida
authors.forename: Satoru
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Kazuomi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ueshima
authors.forename: Naoshi
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Nishida
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kudo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D003287:Contrast Media; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media