1008 SUSTAINED VIROLOGIC RESPONSE TO INTERFERON PREVENTS THE LETHAL CONSEQUENCE OF CLINICAL DECOMPENSATION IN PATIENTS WHO DEVELOP A HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA POST ANTIVIRAL-TREATMENT

Abstract

reduction in tumor perfusion, but with still arterialised tumor areas was classified as partial response (PR) whereas no change in tumor perfusion after TACE was considered nonresponder (NR). Follow-up CT/MRT/angiography (mean, 3 months) represented the goldstandard. Additionally, the quality of both techniques with respect to quantification of tumor perfusion was assessed using approved software programs. Results: 19 out of 25 HCC-patients could be evaluated with both techniques. In 6 patients, one of the imaging modalities (VPCT ×2, CEUS ×4) failed to detect the malignant lesions. With respect to therapy response evaluation, results of both methods differed only in 1 case where VPCT proved correct and CEUS was false-negative. Differences in the detection of residual tumor vitality after TACE were not significant. Quantification of tumor perfusion was possible in 7 patients using CEUS and in all 19 patients by means of VPCT. Conclusions: Both CEUS and VPCT allow for reliable evaluation of TACE-results. For detection and especially, perfusion measurements and thus tumor characterisation, VPCT proved superior to CEUS. The latter, enables furthermore quantification of hepatic arterial blood flow and volume both in the tumor and the cirrhotic liver parenchyma which makes it more confident for detection of even low vascularized HCC and differentiation from nodular liver parenchymal regeneration. Moreover, VPCT accurately quantifies TACE-related transitory or persistent liver parenchymal perfusion damage.