Resumen

YU, Hojun et al. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in hepatic masses. Rev. argent. radiol. [online]. 2009, vol.73, n.2, pp.169-176. ISSN 1852-9992.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a powerful tool in the characterization of various liver masses. Modern techniques of contrast ultrasonography are highly sensitive to minute doses of the contrast agent and with the suppression of background tissue echoes result in images with very high contrast resolution. Added to this advantage are the high temporal and spatial resolution intrinsic to sonography in general, which have resulted in a robust resurgence of sonography in this era of CT and MRI. The excellent safety profile of the contrast agent with no nephrotoxicity allows for multiple injections of microbubble in deciphering the vascular structure and enhancement patterns of masses. These benefits enable more accurate and confident diagnosis of liver lesions allowing CEUS to be a problem solving imaging modality for indeterminate hepatic lesions on previous CT or MR. In this article, we describe the basic principles of CEUS, practical issues in performing the studies, strengths and weaknesses compared to CT and MR imaging, and patterns of enhancement seen in the 5 common hepatic masses: hemangioma, focal nodular hyperplasia, hepatic adenoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, and metastasis.

Palabras clave : Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography; Hepatic masses.

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