[Diagnostic value of sonography in discriminating benign from malignant liver space occupying lesions]

Sonography is a non-invasive, well stablished and low complication technique, which renders the determination of benign and malignant focal liver masses. In this study, diagnostic value of sonography in discriminating liver space occupying lesions and its related factors was evaluated and compared with clinical and pathological results. In this descriptive and diagnostic study, 102 patients with hepatic tumor admitted in Shaheed Sadoughi hospital in Yazd between March 2001 and April 2004 were studied. Patients' age, sex, clinical diagnosis, and pathologic and sonographic results were entered in a questionnaire. Data were analyzed by SPSS software with chi-square and Fisher exact tests. 102 patients with mean age of 52 +/- 18.7 years [range: 4 months- 87 years] were studied. 54 [53%] were male and 48 [47%] female. Of 102 liver mass, Sonography detected 36 benign and 66 malignant tumors, while clinical diagnosis reported 42 benign and 6n malignant tumors. Of 64 malignant tumors diagnosed by pathologic studies, sonography reported 51 malignant and 13 benign tumors. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of sonography in discriminating benign and malignant liver masses were 79.69%, 60.53%, 77.27%, 63.89 and 75.56%, respectively. Regarding the high sensitivity and accuracy of sonography in discriminating benign from malignant liver masses, it can be helpful for evaluation of hepatic tumors. However, sonographic results should confirm by pathologic studies