Color Doppler Ultrasound of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: Evaluation of Recurrence after Transcatheter Arterial Chemoembolization

Abstract

Purpose : To evaluate the efficacy of color and pulsed Doppler ultrasound (US) for the detection of arterial revascularization of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE). Materials and Methods : One hundred and four histologically proven HCCs (0.7-12.5 cm, mean 4.14 cm) of 87 consecutive patients who had undergone TACE using a Lipiodol-chemoagent suspension were examined us-ing color Doppler equipment. The criteria for diagnosing arterial revascularization of HCC were detection of inward blood vessels within HCC and demonstration by spectral Doppler US of pulsatile arterial flow within the vessel. Color Doppler US was prospectively performed using a multi-Hertz probe (2.5-5 Hz), and was followed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA). Results : In 37 of 104 HCCs in 87 patients treated with TACE, color and spectral Doppler US demonstrated in-tratumoral arterial flows, with peak systolic velocity of 4.2-220 (mean, 59) cm/sec. DSA revealed neovascularity or tumor stains in 38 HCCs (3.4-12.5 cm, mean 5.9 cm in size) including 37 which on Doppler US showed arterial flow. The remaining 66 of 104 HCCs (0.7-6.3 cm, mean 3.2 cm) did not stain during DSA. Doppler US showed a false negative result in only one HCC (4.6 cm, located at segment Ⅷof the Couinaud classification), which stained faintly during DSA. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of color and spectral Doppler US used for the detection of recurrent HCC were 97.4%, 100%, and 99%, respectively. Conclusions : Color and spectral Doppler US is an effective method for the evaluation of arterial revascularization of HCC after TACE.