ISSN: 1859 - 2872
The role of contrast enhanced ultrasound for the characterization of hepatocellular carcinoma
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Abstract
Objective: To analyze the hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) characterizations on contrast enahanced ultrasound and the correlation between these characterizations with tumor size and tumor differentiations. Subject and method: This study included 135 patients with 135 HCC nodules confirmed by histopathology between February 2014 and May 2016. All patients were evaluated by contrast enhanced ultrasound with contrast agent SonoVue (Bracco Company, Netherlands), using US machine (Philips EPIQ 5G, US) that has contrast programe including contrast auto-tracking software ROI, following the Guideline of WFUMB and EFSUMB 2012. Result: Of 135 nodules, 134 nodules (99.3%) presented full enhancement pattern, 01 nodule (0.7%) with non-enhancement pattern, 53 nodules (39.3%) with incomplete enhancement pattern, 65 nodules (48.1%) with heterogeneous enhancement, 43 nodules (31.9%) with necrosis. There were 99.3% of HCCs with enhancement pattern in the arterial phase, 61.5% of HCCs wash-out in the portal phase and 85.9% of HCCs wash-out in the late phase. There were differentiated between HCCs with level’s size (under 20mm, from 20 upto 40mm, from 40mm) and between the well-differentiated HCCs and the moderately to poorly HCCs from hypo-enhancement in the portal phase with statistically significant (p=0.0002 and p=0.0001). Conclusion: The HCCs nodules showed a “fast-in” and “fast-out” enhancement pattern. The wash-out phase correlates with HCCs’ size and differentiations, that plays an important role in predicting the differentiation of HCCs.
Keywords: Contrast enhanced ultrasound, hepatocellular carcinoma.
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References
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