Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with Sonazoid in hepatocellular carcinoma diagnosis

Abstract

With the development of second-generation contrast agents and advancement in contrast harmonic imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) now has the capacity to sensitively and accurately show tumor vascularity. Therefore, marked improvements have been achieved in the diagnosis of focal liver lesions(FLLs), including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), by US. In contrast to other agents, Kupffer cells in liver sinusoids take up Sonazoid. Two contrast enhancement phases occur in CEUS with Sonazoid: a vascular phase and Kupffer phase. Images obtained in the Kupffer phase have higher diagnostic sensitivity for hepatic malignancies because the majority of these malignancies do not contain Kupffer cells. Dynamic images obtained in the vascular phase markedly narrow the clinical differential diagnoses of FLLs. The sustainable detection of inconspicuous HCC, adequate guidance of ablation therapy, and accurate assessment of treatment responses in HCC are all facilitated by Sonazoid. The principles, clinical applications, and techniques of CEUS with Sonazoid in the diagnosis of HCC will be reviewed herein.

Keywords

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography / focal liver lesion / hepatocellular carcinoma / sonazoid

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