The Usefulness of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma |
Moon Young Kim |
Department of Internal Medicine, Yonsei University Wonju College of Medicine, Wonju, Korea |
Correspondence:
Moon Young Kim, Email: drkimmy@yonsei.ac.kr |
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Abstract |
Contrast enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) using microbubble ultrasonography agent
is able to show the vascular structure and enhancement patterns of lesions, so it has an
worth in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) which is a typical cancer that has
a characteristic neovascularization. CEUS shows 3 phase vascular pattern like computer
tomography (CT) typical arterial enhancement and portal or late wash out in HCC. CEUS can
show a enhancement pattern of HCC in a real time and it has no nephrotoxicity or radiation
hazard. Beyond the diagnosis, CEUS has also shown usefulness in the guidance of locoregional
treatment and estimation of treatment response of HCC. In addition, recently, a few
data which show a usefulness of CEUS in the early estimation of response after target therapy
in the advanced HCC, also have been reported. However, CEUS has limitations in clinical
practice yet and more wide investigation is needed for the validation of usefulness and wide
application in clinical practice. However, CEUS also has many advantages in the field of the
diagnosis and management of HCC, so in in this review, we are going to introduce CEUS and
overview its clinical usefulness briefly. |
Key Words:
Contrast enhanced ultrasonography; Ultrasonography contrast agent; Hepatocellular carcinoma |
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