Blood Perfusion Characteristics of Renal Cell Carcinoma in the Process of Tumor Growth: Monitored With Multiple Sonographic Modalities.

ABSTRACT: Tumor angiogenesis is an essential factor for tumor growth and antiangiogenic therapy. To simulate the blood perfusion characteristics of human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) longitudinally in the process of tumor growth, multimodal ultrasound examination was performed on 40 orthotopic xenograft RCC mouse models. According to tumor maximum diameter ( d ), tumor growth progress was divided into 3 steps: d ≤ 5 mm, 5 mm < d ≤ 10 mm, and d > 10 mm. Color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), superb microvascular imaging (SMI), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound were administered to monitor tumor perfusion characteristics. The abundance of tumor vascularity on CDFI and SMI was divided into grades 0 to III in ascending order, and their distribution range was categorized into types I to IV. As a result, heterogeneous echogenicity and irregular shape were more common in tumors d > 10 mm than those d < 10 mm ( P < 0.001 for both). Tumor perfusion grade and type on both CDFI and SMI made statistic difference among different growth steps, with higher ratio of hypervascular characteristic in bigger ones (all P < 0.05). Tumor in the same growth step had a higher perfusion grade on SMI than that on CDFI ( P < 0.001). On contrast-enhanced ultrasound, heterogeneous enhancement was more common in those >10 mm ( P < 0.001). It can be concluded that the blood perfusion characteristics of RCC keep on changing during its growth process. In addition, SMI is more sensitive in evaluating tumor perfusion than CDFI.

The value of ultrasonography combined with clinical features for predicting carotid imaging progression of Takayasu's arteritis: a prospective cohort study.

OBJECTIVES: To identify valuable ultrasonography findings combined with clinical markers for predicting carotid progression of Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) on imaging during a 1-year follow-up period. METHODS: From May 2016 to June 2019, 77 Chinese TAK patients with carotid artery involvement were enrolled in the present study. The patients' clinical characteristics and serological test and carotid ultrasonography results were recorded at baseline and each visit. Carotid progression was evaluated by ultrasonography every 3 months during the 1-year follow-up. Baseline clinical characteristics and ultrasonography results for predicting progression on imaging were identified. RESULTS: Sixteen (20.8%) patients presented with carotid progression on imaging during the 1-year follow-up period. The patients in the progressive group were younger (23.4±3.7 vs. 32.3±9.8 years, p<0.01) than those in the non-progressive group. At baseline, the vessel wall was thicker in the progressive group than in the non-progressive group (2.4±0.8 vs. 1.9±0.5 mm, p=0.041). Furthermore, the proportion of patients with refractory disease (87.5% vs. 16.4%, p<0.01) was higher in the progressive group than in the non-progressive group. Patients with a thickened carotid wall (≥1.9 mm), refractory disease, and younger age (≤30 years) might be at a high risk of carotid progression on imaging (75%, AUC: 0.93, sensitivity: 75%, specificity: 93.4%). CONCLUSIONS: Younger patients with early vascular structural changes at baseline as well as refractory disease seemed more likely to show carotid progression on imaging.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the diagnosis of hypoechoic hepatic hemangioma in clinical practice.

AIM: To investigate the specific findings and characteristics of real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in hypoechoic hepatic hemangioma. METHODS: A total of 101 lesions in 83 patients were included. Analysis was made of the relationship between tumor size and CEUS enhance patterns in arterial phase, portal phase and delayed phase, phase changes, echoic changes in perfusion regression stage and filling defect. RESULTS: CEUS showed a lesion detection rate of 92.7%. In regression stage, only 46.5% lesions were fully filled. Enhancement of the lesions was categorized into Pattern I, peripheral nodular enhancement and centripetal filling (68.3%); Pattern II, peripheral ring enhancement and centripetal filling (27.7%); and Pattern III, overall rapid enhancement (4.0%). The most common phase changes were "fast-in slow-out" (74.3%). More than half (61.4%) lesions were hyperechoic in regression stage. Among all the lesions, 4 (3.9%) lesions regressed to hypo-echo in portal phase and 2(2.0%) in delayed phase). The frequent enhancement in tumors >3.0 cm was of Pattern I or II, "fast-in slow-out" or "slow-in slow-out" phase change, and hyperechoic or isoechoic change in perfusion regression stage, but in those ≤3.0 cm, the enhancement was of Pattern III, "fast-in fast-out" phase change and hypoechoic change in perfusion regression stage. The differences were statistically significant (p < 0.05). The percentage of lesions with complete filling on CEUS in the larger hypoechoic hepatic hemangiomas was significantly lower than that of smaller ones (p < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: CEUS has high diagnostic value in hypoechoic hepatic hemangiomas mainly characterized by peripheral nodular or ring enhancement, centripetal filling, and "fast-in slow-out" and "slow-in slow-out" phase changes.

Value of Perfusion Parameters for Differentiating Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Liver Metastasis With Hypervascularity and a Normal Hepatic Background on Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging.

OBJECTIVES: To retrospectively evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) perfusion parameters in the differential diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) and metastatic liver tumors (MLTs) with hypervascularity. METHODS: Sixty-seven HCCs and 55 MLTs with arterial homogeneous/heterogeneous hyperenhancement on CEUS imaging and a normal liver background were included in this retrospective study. Six CEUS perfusion parameters were compared between HCCs and MLTs with different sizes and HCC differentiations: rise time (RT), time to peak (TTP), mean transit time, wash-out time (WT), maximum intensity (IMAX), and area under the curve (AUC). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) was determined to compare the diagnostic efficacy of the parameters. RESULTS: The RT, TTP, and WT were significant longer and the IMAX and AUC were significantly higher in HCCs than in MLTs. In distinguishing between HCCs and MLTs, the AUROC was highest for the WT (0.922; sensitivity, 85.1%; specificity, 89.6%); the AUC and IMAX had the second and third highest AUROCs (AUC: 0.855; sensitivity, 76.1%; specificity, 80.6%; IMAX: 0.827; sensitivity, 76.1%; specificity, 77.6%). The AUROC was lowest for the TTP and RT (TTP: 0.719; sensitivity, 70.1%; specificity, 61.2%; RT: 0.707; sensitivity, 67.2%; specificity, 65.7%). In HCCs, both the tumor size and degree of differentiation affected the IMAX, AUC, and WT. In MLTs, perfusion parameters were not influenced by the tumor size. CONCLUSIONS: In HCCs and MLTs with hypervascularity and a normal liver background on CEUS imaging, various CEUS perfusion parameters, including IMAX, AUC, WT, RT, and TTP, differed significantly between tumor types. The WT may be the most useful parameter for differentiating between these tumors.

Value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of the carotid artery for evaluating disease activity in Takayasu arteritis.

AIMS: To assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) for monitoring disease activity of Takayasu arteritis (TA). METHODS: TA patients were recruited in a Chinese TA clinical center from January 2016 to September 2017. The physician global assessment was used as the referential standard for disease activity. Clinical data, acute phase reactants, and CEUS scans were simultaneously recorded at baseline and after a 3-month therapy. RESULTS: A total of 84 TA patients were enrolled, and 47 (55.95%) cases were active at baseline. Macaroni sign and entire artery involvement were characteristic findings of CEUS in TA. The average vascular full thickness of the carotid artery in active TA patients was significantly higher than that in inactive patients (2.36 ± 0.86 vs. 1.79 ± 0.49 mm; p = 0.001). Severe neovascularization (grade 2) was observed in 29 active cases (61.70%) and in 9 inactive cases (24.32%) (p = 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic analysis showed that the combination of CEUS parameters (cutoff of thickness was 1.75 mm or neovascularization grade 2) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) (cutoff of 20 mm/H) could help differentiate between active and inactive TA patients with a sensitivity and specificity of 81.1% and 81.5%, respectively. Youdon's index was 0.626. Furthermore, our study found that patients with decreased ESR and C-reactive protein (CRP) still had a progression of vascular wall inflammation at 3 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: The evaluation of vascular inflammation by CEUS is more sensitive than acute phase reactants. Neovascularization can still be observed in the vascular lesion sites of those who have reached clinical remission after treatment. Thus, CEUS can be used as an alternative method to assess disease activity for TA patients.

Imaging features of automated breast volume scanner: Correlation with molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the correlation between the imaging features obtained by an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS) and molecular subtypes of breast cancer. METHODS: We examined 303 malignant breast tumours by ABVS for specific imaging features and by immunohistochemical analysis to determine the molecular subtype. ABVS imaging features, including retraction phenomenon, shape, margins, echogenicity, post-acoustic features, echogenic halo, and calcifications were analysed by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses to determine the significant predictive factors of the molecular subtypes. RESULTS: By univariate logistic regression analysis, the predictive factors of the Luminal-A subtype (n=128) were retraction phenomenon (odds ratio [OR]=10.188), post-acoustic shadowing (OR=5.112), and echogenic halo (OR=3.263, P<0.001). The predictive factors of the Human-epidermal-growth-factor-receptor-2-amplified subtype (n=39) were calcifications (OR=6.210), absence of retraction phenomenon (OR=4.375), non-mass lesions (OR=4.286, P<0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR=3.851, P=0.035), and post-acoustic enhancement (OR=3.641, P=0.008). The predictors for the Triple-Negative subtype (n=47) were absence of retraction phenomenon (OR=5.884), post-acoustic enhancement (OR=5.255, P<0.001), absence of echogenic halo (OR=4.138, P=0.002), and absence of calcifications (OR=3.363, P=0.001). Predictors for the Luminal-B subtype (n=89) had a relatively lower association (OR≤2.328). By multivariate logistic regression analysis, retraction phenomenon was the strongest independent predictor for the Luminal-A subtype (OR=9.063, P<0.001) when present and for the Triple-Negative subtype (OR=4.875, P<0.001) when absent. CONCLUSIONS: ABVS imaging features, especially retraction phenomenon, have a strong correlation with the molecular subtypes, expanding the scope of ultrasound in identifying breast cancer subtypes with confidence.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound features of histologically proven small (≤20 mm) liver metastases.

OBJECTIVE: We analyzed contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features of histologically proved small (≤20 mm) liver metastases, in comparison to small (≤20 mm) hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC), to define the differentiate diagnoses value of CEUS in clinical practice. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Eighty-two cases of small (≤20 mm) liver metastases and 84 cases of small (≤20 mm) HCC were retrospectively reviewed. All patients had CEUS images. Two radiologists assessed CEUS enhancement pattern and time of enhancement in consensus. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS v.19.0 (SPSS Inc., Chicago, IL). The χ2 test and the independent sample t-test were used to compare the differences. RESULTS: Comparing to small HCCs, rapid rim-like hyper-enhancement in arterial phase (56.1% in liver metastases vs. 2.3% in HCCs, p < .01), rapid wash-out and become hypo-enhancement in late arterial phase or early portal venous phase (96.4% in liver metastases vs. 22.6% in HCCs, p < .01) with central non-enhanced area in late phase were characteristic CEUS features of small metastases. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS imaging enhancement findings reliably offer typical signs of small liver metastases, differentiate effectively with small HCCs. CEUS can help to improve the diagnostic confidence of small liver metastases.

Quantitative evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for differentiation of renal cell carcinoma subtypes and angiomyolipoma.

PURPOSE: To investigate the value of quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differentiation of subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and angiomyolipoma (AML). METHODS: The quantitative characteristics of 341 RCCs and 88 AMLs were analyzed with quantitative software (SonoLiver). Quantitative analysis was conducted in the whole tumor (ROItumor) and the maximum enhanced area of the tumor (ROImax), acquiring the parameters of maximum intensity (IMAX), rise time (RT), time to peak (TTP), mean transit time (mTT), and area under the curve (AUC), were derived and analyzed. The difference values between ROImax and normal renal cortex (ΔPar.s, including ΔIMAX, ΔRT, ΔTTP, ΔmTT, ΔAUC) were compared among renal histotypes. RESULTS: All time-related parameters (including RT, TTP and mTT) of ROImax were shorter than the corresponding parameters of ROItumor in RCC subtypes (all p<0.05), but made no statistical difference in AMLs (all p>0.05). There were significant differences of all ΔPar.s among RCC subtypes and AML (all p<0.01). ΔIMAX and ΔAUC showed the trend that ccRCC>AML>pRCC=chRCC. ΔTTP showed AML=pRCC=chRCC>ccRCC, ΔRT and ΔmTT showed AML>pRCC=chRCC=ccRCC. ΔmTT could distinguish RCC from AML with the area under the ROC curve (AUC) of 0.86. The AUC of ΔIMAX and ΔAUC was 0.89 and 0.92 vs 0.85 and 0.85 for discriminating between pRCC (or chRCC) and AML vs ccRCC and AML. CONCLUSIONS: Quantitative analysis of CEUS is a useful modality in AML and RCC subtypes' differentiation, by using ΔmTT, ΔIMAX and ΔAUC.

Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis: contrast-enhanced ultrasound features and differential diagnosis from wall-thickening gallbladder carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differential diagnosis of Xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Patients of 17 XGCs and 43 wall-thickening gallbladder carcinomas (GBCs) were enrolled in this study. Firstly, we compared the ability of conventional ultrasound (CUS) and CEUS in detecting gallbladder (GB) features. Secondly, XGCs and GBCs features were compared on CEUS. Finally, all valuable indicators were ranked by Odds ratio. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in detecting GB wall thickness, GB stones, and hypoechoic nodules frequencies by CEUS and CUS. The mean GB wall thickness was 8.53 mm on CEUS, whereas the thickness measured 9.47 mm on CUS (p=0.011). GB stones and hypoechoic nodules were detected in 43 cases (71.7%) and 21 cases (30.0%) on CEUS, respectively, compared to 29 cases (48.3%) and 8 cases (13.3%) on CUS (p=0.009, p=0.027), respectively. Secondly, hypoenhancement time was longer in XGC (mean 78.9 s) than in GBC (mean 56.0 s) (p=0.002). Diffuse GB wall thickening, continuous inner wall, and hypoechoic nodules in the GB wall were observed in 12 patients (70.6%), 12 patients (70.6%) and 10 patients (58.8%) with XGC, respectively, compared to detection in 10 patients (23.3%), 4 patients (9.3%) and 11 patients (25.6%) by GBC (p=0.001, p=0.000 and p=0.015), respectively. Thirdly, the continuous inner wall was the most valuable indicator, with ORs of 23.4. The second valuable indicator was hypoenhancement time >80.5 s, with ORs of 11.9. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS demonstrated superior detection of GB wall thickness, GB stone and hypoechoic nodules compared to CUS. A continuous inner wall, hypoenhancement times greater than 80.5 s, diffuse thickening, and hypoechoic nodules were valuable indicators in XGCs.

Evaluation of Liver Metastases Using Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound: Enhancement Patterns and Influencing Factors.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: To evaluate the enhancement patterns of liver metastases and their influencing factors using dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). METHODS: A total of 240 patients (139 male and 101 female; 58.5 ± 11.2 years of age) diagnosed with liver metastases in our hospital were enrolled in this study to evaluate tumor characteristics using CEUS. A comparison of enhancement patterns with tumor size and primary tumor type was performed using the chi-square test. The differences between quantitative variables were evaluated with the independent-sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: The enhancement patterns of liver metastases on CEUS were categorized as diffuse homogeneous hyperenhancement (133/240, 55.4%), rim-like hyperenhancement (80/240, 33.3%), heterogeneous hyperenhancement (10/240, 4.2%), and isoenhancement (17/240, 7.1%). There were significant differences in the enhancement patterns during the arterial phase based on the nodule size (p=0.001). A total of 231 of the nodules showed complete washout during the portal phase, and 237 nodules were hypoenhanced during the delayed phase. The washout time was correlated with tumor vascularity, with a longer washout time observed in hypervascular metastases compared to hypovascular metastases (p=0.033). CONCLUSIONS: Diffuse homogeneous hyperenhancement followed by rapid washout was the most common enhancement pattern of liver metastases on CEUS and was affected by the nodule size and tumor vascularity. Small metastases were prone to show diffuse homogeneous hyperenhancement. Hypervascular metastases showed a significantly longer washout time compared to hypovascular metastases.

Differentiation of subtypes of renal cell carcinoma with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

We aimed to assess the difference of enhancement patterns among the three RCC subtypes with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). Two hundreds cases of pathologically proved clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCC), 58 papillary renal cell carcinomas (pRCC) and 51 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas (chRCC) underwent preoperative conventional ultrasound and CEUS. The wash-in and wash-out pattern, peak enhancement degree and homogeneity, and the presence of pseudocapsule were evaluated by two blinded observers respectively. The interreader agreement in the characterization of CEUS features between two observers was good (κ  = 0.649-0.775). Compared with pRCCs and chRCCs, ccRCCs demonstrated higher frequency of simultaneous wash-in pattern, hyperenhancement and heterogeneity with necrotic areas. Most pRCCs and chRCCs manifested hypoenhancement, homogeneity, fast wash-out and presence of pseudocapsule. The only difference we obtained between pRCC and chRCC was the wash-in pattern, with slow wash-in in pRCC and simultaneous wash-in in chRCC. In small lesions with long diameter≤3 cm, the majority of the three subtypes of RCC showed homogeneous enhancement and there was no difference among them. CEUS was a useful method to preoperatively differentiate the ccRCC from non-ccRCC subtypes. There were no distinguishing features identifid on CEUS that allowed reliable differentiation of pRCC from chRCC.

Application of imaging fusion combining contrast-enhanced ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging in detection of hepatic cellular carcinomas undetectable by conventional ultrasound.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: The aim of this study is to explore the value of volume navigation image fusion-assisted contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in detection for radiofrequency ablation guidance of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs), which were undetectable on conventional ultrasound. METHODS: From May 2012 to May 2014, 41 patients with 49 HCCs were included in this study. All lesions were detected by dynamic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and planned for radiofrequency ablation but were undetectable on conventional ultrasound. After a bolus injection of 2.4 ml SonoVue® (Bracco, Italy), LOGIQ E9 ultrasound system with volume navigation system (version R1.0.5, GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI, USA) was used to fuse CEUS and MRI images. The fusion time, fusion success rate, lesion enhancement pattern, and detection rate were analyzed. RESULTS: Image fusions were conducted successfully in 49 HCCs, the technical success rate was 100%. The average fusion time was (9.2 ± 2.1) min (6-12 min). The mean diameter of HCCs was 25.2 ± 5.3 mm (mean ± SD), and mean depth was 41.8 ± 17.2 mm. The detection rate of HCCs using CEUS/MRI imaging fusion (95.9%, 47/49) was significantly higher than CEUS (42.9%, 21/49) (P < 0.05). For small HCCs (diameter, 1-2 cm), the detection rate using imaging fusion (96.9%, 32/33) was also significantly higher than CEUS (18.2%, 6/33) (P < 0.01). All HCCs displayed a rapid wash-in pattern in the arterial phase of CEUS. CONCLUSIONS: Imaging fusion combining CEUS and MRI is a promising technique to improve the detection, precise localization, and accurate diagnosis of undetectable HCCs on conventional ultrasound, especially small and atypical HCCs.

Comparison of retraction phenomenon and BI-RADS-US descriptors in differentiating benign and malignant breast masses using an automated breast volume scanner.

OBJECTIVE: To compare the diagnostic values of retraction phenomenon in the coronal planes and descriptors in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System-Ultrasound (BI-RADS-US) lexicon in differentiating benign and malignant breast masses using an automated breast volume scanner (ABVS). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Two hundred and eight female patients with 237 pathologically proven breast masses (120 benign and 117 malignant) were included in this study. ABVS was performed for each mass after preoperative localization by conventional ultrasonography (US). Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to assess independent variables for malignancy prediction. Diagnostic performance was evaluated through the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. RESULTS: Retraction phenomenon (odds ratio [OR]: 76.70; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 12.55, 468.70; P<0.001) was the strongest independent predictor for malignant masses, followed by microlobulated margins (OR: 55.87; 95% CI: 12.56, 248.44; P<0.001), angular margins (OR: 36.44; 95% CI: 4.55, 292.06; P=0.001), calcifications (OR: 5.53; 95% CI: 1.34, 22.88; P=0.018,) and patient age (OR: 1.10; 95% CI: 1.03, 1.17; P=0.004). Mass shape, orientation, echo pattern, indistinct margins, spiculated margins, and mass size were not significantly associated with breast malignancy. Area under the ROC curve (Az) for microlobulated margins and retraction phenomenon was higher than that for other significant independent predictors. Az, sensitivity, and specificity were 0.877 (95% CI: 0.829, 0.926) and 0.838 (95% CI: 0.783, 0.892), 82.9% and 70.1%, and 92.5% and 98.3%, respectively, for microlobulated margins and retraction phenomenon. CONCLUSIONS: Retraction phenomenon and microlobulated margins have high diagnostic values in the differentiation of benign and malignant breast masses using an ABVS.

Differentiation of Renal Tumor Histotypes: Usefulness of Quantitative Analysis of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate quantitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of renal tumor histotypes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2010 and December 2013, 106 clear cell renal cell carcinomas (RCCs) (mean [± SD] diameter, 3.7 ± 1.8 cm), 34 angiomyolipomas (mean diameter, 4.1 ± 1.4 cm), 25 papillary RCCs (mean diameter, 3.5 ± 1.1 cm), and 28 chromophobe RCCs (mean diameter, 2.9 ± 0.9 cm) underwent CEUS quantitative analysis. The dynamic vascular pattern was analyzed with the Fisher exact chi-square test, and rise time, time to peak (TTP), and tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio were analyzed with the independent-sample t test. RESULTS: Dynamic vascular pattern types I and III (hyperenhancement) were more common among clear cell RCCs, whereas type II (hypoenhancement) was more common among angiomyolipomas, papillary RCCs, and chromophobe RCCs. Irrespective of dynamic vascular pattern class, the rise time and TTP were the shortest in clear cell RCCs and were equal in angiomyolipomas, papillary, and chromophobe RCCs. The tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio was the highest in clear cell RCCs, was second highest in angiomyolipomas, and was lowest but equal in papillary and chromophobe RCCs. Clear cell RCCs and angiomyolipomas accounted for the majority of the hyperenhancing group. The tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio of clear cell RCCs was higher than that of angiomyolipomas. With tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio greater than 146.0% as the cutoff to differentiate clear cell RCC from angiomyolipoma in the hyperenhanced group, the sensitivity and specificity were each 71.4%. In the hypoenhanced group, the tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio was the same in clear cell RCCs and angiomyolipomas but was higher in papillary and chromophobe RCCs. With tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio greater than 54.2% as the cutoff point to differentiate clear cell RCCs from papillary and chromophobe RCCs, the sensitivity and specificity were 95.5% and 94.8%, respectively, whereas with a tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio greater than 57.4% as the cutoff point to differentiate angiomyolipomas from papillary and chromophobe RCCs, the sensitivity and specificity were 90.0% and 96.4%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Quantitative analysis of CEUS can show quantification of enhancement features of different renal tumor histotypes and may be helpful in their differential diagnosis.

Papillary renal cell carcinoma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma: Differentiation of distinct histological types with contrast - enhanced ultrasonography.

PURPOSE: Papillary renal cell carcinoma (pRCC) and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) have different biological behaviours and imaging features. The role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differentiating these two carcinoma subtypes has not been comprehensively studied. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients with 49 pRCC lesions and 153 patients with 156 ccRCC lesions underwent preoperative conventional ultrasound (US) and CEUS. Among them, 91 patients (25 pRCCs and 66 ccRCCs) also underwent preoperative contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) in our hospital. The characteristics of CEUS and CECT images for each patient imaged were analysed by each of two blinded observers. RESULTS: Images for five (5/25, 20%) pRCC patients demonstrated equivocal or no enhancement using CECT, while all lesions were enhanced using CEUS. From CEUS, images of pRCCs, when compared with ccRCC images, demonstrated significantly higher frequencies of slow wash-in (59.2% vs. 5.8%), fast wash-out (87.7% vs. 46.1%), and hypo-enhancement (57.1% vs. 7.1%) patterns, p<0.001, as well as the presence of pseudocapsule (42.9% vs. 23.1%), p=0.007. For lesions with large diameters (> 3 cm), a higher percentage of pRCC images demonstrated homogeneous enhancement compared with ccRCC images. Using the combination of slow wash-in, fast wash-out, and hypoenhancement patterns at peak as criteria to differentiate pRCC from ccRCC, positive and negative predictive value, and sensitivity and specificity were found to be 86.7%, 86.9%, 53.1%, and 97.4%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: CEUS imaging features of slow-in, fast-out, and hypo-enhancement patterns may be useful for differentiating pRCC and ccRCC. In addition, CEUS may be helpful for diagnosing hypovascular renal lesions that demonstrate equivocal or no enhancement by CECT and, thus, for improving diagnostic confidence.

Dynamic enhancement pattern of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma on contrast-enhanced ultrasound: the correlation with cirrhosis and tumor size.

PURPOSE: To retrospectively evaluate the dynamic enhancement pattern of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) of varying sizes and hepatic backgrounds. MATERIALS AND METHODS: CEUS was performed in 98 pathologically confirmed ICCs (n = 39 < 30 mm, n = 59 > 30 mm; n = 45 with cirrhosis and n = 53 with normal liver). The dynamic enhancement pattern of CEUS was retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: In the arterial phase, heterogeneous hyper-enhancement was more frequent in ICCs with cirrhosis (21/45, 46.7% vs. 11/53, 20.8% in ICCs with normal liver, p = 0.009), while peripheral hyper-enhancement and hypo-enhancement were more common in ICCs with normal liver (14/53, 26.4%; 11/53, 20.8% vs. 2/45, 4.4%; 2/45, 4.4% in ICCs with cirrhosis, p = 0.005 and 0.033, respectively). There were no significant differences between portal and delayed phases. In ICCs < 30 mm, homogeneous hyper-enhancement was more frequently identified (27/39, 69.2% vs. 10/59, 16.9% in ICCs > 30 mm, p < 0.001), whereas in ICCs > 30 mm, heterogeneous, and peripheral hyper-enhancement were more commonly observed (26/59, 44.1% vs. 6/39, 15.4% in ICCs < 30 mm, p = 0.004, and 14/59, 23.7% vs. 2/39, 5.1% in ICCs < 30 mm, p = 0.023, respectively). The washout pattern in portal and delayed phases were not significantly different in ICCs with different sizes. 60.7% (17/28) ICCs < 30 mm and 85.2% (23/27) ICCs > 30 mm with cirrhosis, together with 66.7% (14/21) ICCs < 30 mm with normal liver displayed intense contrast agent uptake (homogeneous or heterogeneous hyper-enhancement) in arterial phase followed by washout in portal and delayed phase, which was much higher than that in ICCs > 30 mm with normal liver (34.4%, 11/32, p < 0.001, <0.001 and =0.027, respectively). CONCLUSION: The CEUS dynamic enhancement pattern of ICC varies with size and hepatic background. The enhancement pattern is indistinguishable from hepatocellular carcinoma on CEUS in most ICCs with cirrhosis and in most ICCs < 30 mm with normal liver.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis with contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: diagnosis value in hypoechoic renal angiomyolipoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the value of enhancement features and quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differentiating solid hypoechoic renal angiomyolipomas (AMLs) from clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs). MATERIALS AND METHODS: We analyzed the enhancement features and quantitative parameters of CEUS in 174 hypoechoic renal masses (32 AMLs and 142 ccRCCs) included in the study. RESULTS: Centripetal enhancement pattern was more common in AMLs than in ccRCCs on CEUS (71.9% vs. 23.2%, p < 0.001). At peak enhancement, all AMLs showed homogeneous enhancement (100% in AML, 27.5% in ccRCCs; p < 0.001). Quantitative analysis showed no significant difference between rise time and time to peak. Tumor-to-cortex (TOC) enhancement ratio in AMLs was significantly lower than that in ccRCCs (p < 0.001). The criteria of centripetal enhancement and homogeneous peak enhancement together with TOC ratio < 91.0% used to differentiate hypoechoic AMLs from ccRCCs resulted in a sensitivity and specificity of 68.9% and 95.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Both qualitative and quantitative analysis with CEUS are valuable in the differential diagnosis of hypoechoic renal AMLs from ccRCCs.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in combination with color Doppler ultrasound can improve the diagnostic performance of focal nodular hyperplasia and hepatocellular adenoma.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the value of combining color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in identifying and comparing features of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and hepatocellular adenoma (HCA). Thirty-eight patients with FNH (n = 28) or HCA (n = 10), whose diagnoses were later confirmed by pathology, were examined with conventional ultrasonography and CEUS between 2010 and 2013. Two doctors blinded to the pathology results independently reviewed the conventional ultrasound and CEUS images and then reached a consensus through discussion. The following parameters evaluated for all lesions included vascularity pattern on CDUS or CEUS, enhancement characteristics on CEUS and the presence of a central scar. Statistical analysis was performed with the independent sample t-test and Fisher exact test. On CDUS, FNH was characterized by the presence of abundant blood flow signals exhibiting dendritic (53.6%, 15/28) and spoke-wheel (28.6%, 8/28) patterns, whereas blood flow signal of HCA was slightly less than FNH and often showed subcapsular short rod-like (50%, 5/10) appearance. On CEUS, the most common arterial enhancement pattern was centrifugal or homogeneous enhancement in FNH (both, 12/28, 42.9%) and homogeneous enhancement in HCA (6/10, 60%). Spoke-wheel arteries, feeding artery and central scar were detected in 5 (17.9%), 8 (28.6%) and 5 (17.9%) of 28 FNHs. Hypo-echogenic pattern during delayed phase was more common in HCA (60%, 6/10) than in FNH (3/28, 10.7%) (p = 0.010). A total of 25 (25/38, 65.8%) lesions were correctly assessed using CDUS in combination with CEUS, whereas the number decreased to 15 (15/38, 39.5%) when CDUS was used alone (p = 0.038). The areas under the ROC curves before and after CEUS administration were 0.768 and 0.879, respectively. In conclusion, CEUS in combination with CDUS improve the diagnostic performance of FNH and HCA. Blood signal of HCA was less than FNH on CDUS. The differences of enhancement pattern during arterial phase and echogenicity during delayed phase may contribute to the differentiation of these lesions.

Histotype differentiation of hypo-echoic renal tumors on CEUS: usefulness of enhancement homogeneity and intensity.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to evaluate qualitative and quantitative analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differential diagnoses of hypo-echoic renal tumor histotypes. METHODS: Our study cohort comprised 103 clear cell renal cell carcinomas (ccRCCs), 24 papillary renal cell carcinomas (pRCCs), 28 chromophobe renal cell carcinomas (cRCCs), and 34 angiomyolipomas (AMLs), hypo-echoic on ultrasound, and imaged between January 2011 and December 2013. Enhancement homogeneity and tumor-to-cortex intensity ratio (TOC ratio) were retrospectively analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, heterogeneous enhancement was more common in ccRCCs than AMLs, pRCCs, and cRCCs. TOC ratio showed the trend ccRCC > AML > pRCC = cRCC. Similar trends were seen in tumors <4 cm. Using heterogeneous enhancement or TOC ratio >107.5% to differentiate ccRCC from other histotypes, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 93.1%, 74.5%, 84.8%, and 87.5%, respectively. Tumors >4 cm exhibited considerable overlap in enhancement homogeneity among different histotypes. TOC ratios were similar between homo- and heterogeneously enhancing tumors for ccRCCs and for pRCCs and cRCCs, but higher in homogeneously enhancing than heterogeneously enhancing AMLs. In homo- and heterogeneously enhancing tumors, TOC ratios followed the trends ccRCCs > AMLs > pRCCs = cRCCs and ccRCCs > AMLs = pRCCs = cRCCs, respectively. With TOC ratio >105.81% and >72.37% to differentiate homo- and heterogeneously enhancing ccRCCs from other histotypes in tumors >4 cm with same enhancement homogeneity, the sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values were 70.0%, 85.7%, 70.0%, 85.7%, and 91.7%, 94.4%, 95.7%, 89.5%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CEUS homogeneity and TOC ratio are helpful in differential diagnosis of hypo-echoic renal tumor histotypes. Diameter and enhancement homogeneity should be considered when deciding the diagnostic TOC ratio cutoff.

Triphasic and epithelioid minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma and clear cell renal cell carcinoma: qualitative and quantitative CEUS characteristics and distinguishing features.

PURPOSE: To determine the contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) characteristics of minimal fat renal angiomyolipoma (AML) (triphasic and epithelioid) and compare them to each other and to clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) to explore their differential diagnostic clue. METHODS: Qualitative and quantitative CEUS analyses were retrospectively conducted for epithelioid renal AMLs (EAMLs) (n = 15), triphasic minimal fat AMLs (TAMLs) (n = 25), and ccRCCs (n = 113). Enhancement patterns and features with CEUS were qualitatively evaluated. As for the quantitative parameters, rise times (RT), time to peak (TTP), and tumor-to-cortex enhancement ratio (TOC ratio) were compared among these renal tumor histotypes. RESULTS: No significant differences were detected on conventional ultrasound in the three histotypes of renal tumor. On qualitative CEUS analysis, centripetal enhancement in cortical phase (73.3% in EAMLs, 84.0% in TAMLs vs. 18.6% in ccRCCs, p < 0.001 for both), homogeneous peak enhancement (100.0% in both EAMLs and TAMLs vs. 43.4% in ccRCCs, p < 0.001 for both), and iso-enhancement in parenchyma phase (53.3% in AMLs, 52.0% in TAMLs vs. 26.5% in ccRCCs, p = 0.034 and 0.013, respectively) were valuable traits for differentiating EAMLs and TAMLs from ccRCCs. Furthermore, with quantitative analysis, RT and TTP were much shorter in ccRCCs than those in EAMLs and TAMLs. However, all these qualitative and quantitative characteristics made no significant difference between EAMLs and TAMLs. In the differential diagnosis of EAMLs from TAMLs, pseudocapsule sign was valuable (40.0% in EAMLs vs. 0.0% in TAMLs, p < 0.001), and TOC ratio was much higher in EAMLs (166.01 ± 64.47%) than that in TAMLs (93.74 ± 46.56%)(p < 0.001), though they did make overlaps with ccRCCs. With either heterogeneous peak enhancement or the presence of pseudocapsule or TOC ratio >97.34% as the criteria to differentiate ccRCCs and EAMLs from TAMLs, the sensitivity and specificity were 80.0% and 87.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Qualitative and quantitative CEUS analyses are helpful in the differential diagnosis of ccRCCs, EAMLs, and TAMLs.