Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2009;18(12):1057-1060

doi:10.3760/cma.j.issn.1004-4477.2009.12.015

Contrast-enhanced sonographic features of low grade and high grade dysplastic nodules in cirrhotic liver

Manxia LIN ; Huixiong XU ; Xiaoyan XIE ; Mingde Lü ; Zhi LI ; Xiaohua XIE ; Zuofeng XU ; Guangjian LIU ; Lida CHEN

Keywords

Ultrasonography; Microbubbles; Liver cirrhosis; Dysplastic nodule

Country

China

Language

Chinese

Abstract

Objective To investigate the features of low grade dysplastic nodule(LGDN)and high grade dysplastic nodule(HGDN)in cirrhotic liver on the baseline ultrasound(BUS)and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).Methods Seventeen LGDNs and 16 HGDNs which were pathologically proved underwent baseline and CEUS examination.CEUS was performed with contrast pulse sequence(CPS)and contrast harmonic imaging (CHI)and used SonoVue as contrast agent.Results Significant differences(all P>0.05)were not shown between LGDN and HGDN for manifestations on both the BUS and CEUS.After contrast agent injected, hyperenhancement in arterial phase and hyper-or iso-enhancement in late phase,hypo-enhancement in early arterial phase and iso-enhancement through late arterial,portal and late phase,hyper-enhancement in arterial phase and hypo-enhancement in late phase,iso-enhancement in arterial,portal and late phase,iso-enhancement in arterial phase and hypo-enhancement in late phase were showed in 10(30.3%),10(30.3%),8(24.3%),4(12.1%),1(3.0%)cases of DN, respectively.Conclusions LGDN and HGDN displayed similar feature on both the BUS and CEUS.There were complicated manifestations of DN on the CEUS and the main contrast-enhanced sonographic feature of DN was,different from regenerative nodule and hepatocellular carcinoma.CEUS was helpful in diagnosing DN in cirrhotic liver.