Premium
Value of contrast‐enhanced color Doppler sonography in diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma with special attention to the “color‐filled pattern”
Author(s) -
Tanaka Sachiko,
Kitamra Tsugio,
Fujita Makoto,
Yoshioka Fumi
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
journal of clinical ultrasound
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.272
H-Index - 61
eISSN - 1097-0096
pISSN - 0091-2751
DOI - 10.1002/(sici)1097-0096(199805)26:4<207::aid-jcu6>3.0.co;2-h
Subject(s) - medicine , color doppler , hepatocellular carcinoma , radiology , hccs , contrast (vision) , artery , angiography , ultrasonography , optics , physics
Abstract Purpose The purpose of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of contrast‐enhanced color Doppler sonography in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), with special attention to the value of a “color‐filled pattern.” Methods Contrast enhancement with Levovist was performed on 30 liver tumors, including 21 HCCs, as part of phase II and III clinical trials. Detection of a “feeding artery” or a “color‐filled pattern” with color Doppler sonography was interpreted as a positive finding for HCC. Angiography was also performed. Results A feeding artery was detected in 9 HCCs before contrast enhancement and 20 HCCs after. A color‐filled pattern was seen in 14 HCCs after enhancement. A feeding artery was seen in only 1 non‐HCC tumor, and a color‐filled pattern was not seen in any non‐HCC. The sensitivity and specificity of a feeding artery for the diagnosis of HCC were 95% and 89%, values similar to those of hepatic angiography. The sensitivity and specificity of a color‐filled pattern were 67% and 100%, respectively. Conclusions Contrast enhancement increases the detectability of a feeding artery and improves the sensitivity of color Doppler sonography for diagnosing HCC. A color‐filled pattern is a highly specific finding in the diagnosis of HCC. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 26:207–212, 1998.