Quaia E, De Paoli L, Angileri R, Cabibbo B, Cova MA. Indeterminate solid hepatic lesions identified on non-diagnostic contrast-enhanced computed tomography: assessment of the additional diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the non-cirrhotic liver.
Eur J Radiol 2013;
83:456-62. [PMID:
24387826 DOI:
10.1016/j.ejrad.2013.12.012]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/29/2013] [Revised: 11/28/2013] [Accepted: 12/06/2013] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE
To assess the additional diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the characterization of indeterminate solid hepatic lesions identified on non-diagnostic contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT).
METHODS
Fifty-five solid hepatic lesions (1-4 cm in diameter) in 46 non-cirrhotic patients (26 female, 20 male; age±SD, 55±10 years) underwent CEUS after being detected on contrast-enhanced CT which was considered as non-diagnostic after on-site analysis. Two blinded independent readers assessed CT and CEUS scans and were asked to classify retrospectively each lesion as a malignant or benign based on reference diagnostic criteria for the different hepatic lesion histotypes. Diagnostic accuracy and confidence (area--Az--under ROC curve) were assessed by using gadobenate dimeglumine-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (n=30 lesions), histology (n=7 lesions), or US follow-up (n=18 lesions) as the reference standards.
RESULTS
Final diagnoses included 29 hemangiomas, 3 focal nodular hyperplasias, 1 hepatocellular adenoma, and 22 metastases. The additional review of CEUS after CT images improved significantly (P<.05) the diagnostic accuracy (before vs after CEUS review=49% [20/55] vs 89% [49/55]--reader 1 and 43% [24/55] vs 92% [51/55]--reader 2) and confidence (Az, 95% Confidence Intervals before vs after CEUS review=.773 [.652-.895] vs .997 [.987-1]--reader 1 and .831 [.724-.938] vs .998 [.992-1]--reader 2).
CONCLUSIONS
CEUS improved the characterization of indeterminate solid hepatic lesions identified on non-diagnostic contrast-enhanced CT by identifying some specific contrast enhancement patterns.
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