Ces radiol. 2010, 64(1):11-19

Contribution of the contrast enhanced ultrasound in the differential diagnosis of the focal liver lesionsOriginal article

Šárka Bohatá¹, Tomáš Pavlík², Danuše Chlumská¹, Vlastimil Válek¹

¹ Radiologická klinika FN, Brno

² Institut biostatistiky a analýz MU, Brno

Aim: Co compare retrospectively study of different imaging modalities (CEUS, CT, MR) and to determine the hit rate of these modalities with regard to histological diagnose and with respect to distinguish between benign and malignant lesion in general, the proposal of optimal diagnostic algorithm of focal liver lesions.

Method: Retrospective evaluation of th group of 62 patients examined from 2005 to 2009 with histological evaluation. US examinations were done on ATL HDI 5000 and IU 22 Phillips. CT examinations on Siemens Somatom plus or Phillips Brilliance (64), using dynamic postcontrast examination. MR on Phillips Achieva 1.5 T, using hepatospecific contrast agents and dynamic postcontrast examination in 4 phases.
Beyond the hit rate of the modalities with regard to histological diagnose also the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values and negative predictive values to distiguish malignant lesion from benign were evaluated.

Results: Concerning the histological diagnose, MR has the hit rate of 85.7%, CEUS - 82%, CT - 62%. For differentiation between malignant and benign lesion MR sensitivity was 93,8% and specificity 100%, CEUS 91.4% and 92.3% , CT 77.8% and 88.5%. PPV were 100%, 94% and 90% and NPV 92%, 90% and 74% for MR, CEUS and CT respectively.

Conclusion: Our sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and hit rates well correlate with those described in literature, confiming that CEUS is meaningful diagnostic tool in the diagnostic algortithm of focal liver lesions.

Keywords: diagnosis, differential, liver, microbubbles, ultrasonography

Accepted: August 15, 2009; Published: March 1, 2010  Show citation