%0 Journal Article
%T High Frame Rate Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Helps Differentiate Malignant and Benign Focal Liver Lesions.
%A Fei X
%A Han P
%A Jiang B
%A Zhu L
%A Tian W
%A Sang M
%A Zhang X
%A Zhu Y
%A Luo Y
%J J Clin Transl Hepatol
%V 10
%N 1
%D Feb 2022 28
%M 35233370
%F 5.065
%R 10.14218/JCTH.2020.00172
%X OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic performance of high frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound (H-CEUS) of focal liver lesions (FLLs).
METHODS: From July 2017 to June 2019, conventional contrast-enhanced ultrasound (C-CEUS) and H-CEUS were performed in 78 patients with 78 nodules. The characteristics of C-CEUS and H-CEUS in malignant and benign groups and the differences between different lesion sizes (1-3 cm, 3-5 cm, or >5 cm) of C-CEUS and H-CEUS were examined. The diagnostic performance of C-CEUS and H-CEUS was analyzed. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was used to assess inter-group differences. The receiver operating characteristic curve was plotted to determine the diagnostic performance of C-CEUS and H-CEUS.
RESULTS: There were significant differences in the enhancement area, fill-in direction and vascular architecture between C-CEUS and H-CEUS for both benign and malignant lesions (all p=0.000-0.008), but there were no significant differences in washout results (p=0.566 and p=0.684, respectively). For lesions 1-3 cm in size, the enhancement area, fill-in direction, and vascular architecture on C-CEUS and H-CEUS were significantly different (all p=0.000), unlike for lesions 3-5 cm or >5 cm in size. For differentiation of malignant from benign FLLs in the 1-3 cm group, H-CEUS showed sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive and negative predictive values of 92.86%, 95.0%, 96.3%, 90.48% and 93.75%, respectively, which were higher than those for C-CEUS (75.0%, 70.0%, 77.78%, 66.67% and 72.91%, respectively).
CONCLUSIONS: H-CEUS provided more vascular information which could help differentiate malignant from benign FLLs, especially for lesions 1-3 cm in size.