Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography characteristics of liver metastasis correlation with different pathological type of lung cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To provide objective basis for the diagnosis on liver metastasis from lung cancer by analysing contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS) characteristics.Methods:In a reprospective study, CEUS was performed in 78 cases with liver metastasis from lung cancer in Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2014 to March 2019. Patients were divided into three groups the adenocarcinoma group( n=30), squamous cell carcinoma group ( n=20), and neuroendocrine neoplasm group( n=28). Conventional ultrasound and CEUS features were analyzed and the distinctions among the three groups were compared. Results:CEUS showed that 85.9%(67/78) of the liver metastasis from lung cancer with pattern of rapid wash-in and 89.7%(70/78) of rapid wash-out, so there was no statistical difference among the three groups( P>0.05). In the adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma group, 53.3%(16/30) and 55.0%(11/20) of cases were rim-like enhancement. And 71.4%(20/28) of the neuroendocrine neoplasm group with global enhancement that was different from the other groups(all P<0.05). At the peak of enhancement, most cases were hyperenhancement among the three groups, and the difference was not statistically significant( P>0.05). During the lesions of hyperenhancement, 73.7%(14/19) was global enhancement in the neuroendocrine neoplasm, compared to 75.0% (12/16) of the adenocarcinoma group and 72.7%(8/11) of the squamous cancer group with rim-like enhancement, which the differences was statistically significant(all P<0.05). At the peak of enhancement, 67.9%(19/28) lesions of the neuroendocrine neoplasm group were homogeneous enhancement, and only 21.4%(6/28) of the lesions was observed non-enhanced area, which was different from the other groups(all P<0.05). The times to iso-echogenity and hypo-echogenity were (33.2±7.6)s and (45.1±10.8)s respectively in the neuroendocrine neoplasm group, which were more than the other groups(all P<0.05). Capsule enhancement appeared in 32.1%(9/28) of the neuroendocrine neoplasm group in the delay phase, which was higher than 13.3%(4/30) of the adenocarcinoma group and 10.0%(2/20) of squamous cell carcinoma group (all P<0.05). Conclusions:CEUS can provide more diagnostic information for liver metastasis from lung cancer and may be a beneficial technique for differential diagnosis.