Comparison analysis of clinical and contrast-enhanced ultrasound characteristics of hepatic angiomyolipoma compared with hepatic cavernous hemangioma and hepatocellular carcinoma / 中国医学影像技术

ABSTRACT

Objective: To compare clinical features and ultrasonic characteristics of hepatic angiomyolipoma (HAML), hepatic cavernous hemangioma (HCH) and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods: Data of 40 patients with HAML confirmed by pathology who underwent CEUS were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical features, imaging characteristics of conventional ultrasound and CEUS were observed. Mean while, 40 patients with HCH and 40 patients with HCC were enrolled for comparison with HAML. Results: HAML mainly occurred in female (70.00%, 28/40), with an average age of (39.8±10.6) years. Distinctions of gender, age and hepatitis virus infection were statistically significant between HAML and HCC (all P0.05). HAML mostly presented as high echogenic lesions with clear boundaries and regular morphology on conventional ultrasound. There was no significant difference lesions'number, size, morphology nor blood supply between HAML and HCC (all P>0.05), but the distinctions of echo (χ2=8.93, P=0.008) and boundary (χ2=2.03, P=0.013) were statistically different. No statistical difference of number, size, border, echo, lesion morphology and blood supply was found between HAML and HCH (all P>0.05). On CEUS, 62.50% (25/40) of HAML showed "fast in and fast out" performance, but it subsided into iso-enhancement (t=-2.46, P=0.016) or hypo-enhancement (t=-5.35, P0.05). Conclusion: Combination of clinical features, conventional ultrasound and CEUS characteristics are helpful to distinguish HAML from HCH and HCC.