Role of Ultrasound Imaging in Hepatic Lesions and its Correlation with Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology

Abstract

Introduction: Ultrasound is cheaper, effective, quick, painless, non-invasive with no radiation hazard. Guided FNAC of the liver is a safe, simple, cost-effective and accurate method for cytological diagnosis of hepatic lesions. To study the role of sonography findings including color doppler in Hepatic Lesions and its correlation with Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology. Materials and Methods: Patients referred to the department of Radiodiagnosis for Sonological evaluation were screened for hepatic SOLs. Patients with liver SOL were included in the study . Protocols included History, Routine laboratory and conventional radiological investigations, Ultrasonographic and Colour Doppler examination for size, margins, and color flow, intrahepatic bile duct status and lymph nodes followed byUSG guided FNA of the lesions and cytological co-relation Results: Out of 54 patients (28 male and 26 females), 37 patients had malignant (metastatic/primary) lesions and 12 had benign lesions. In 5 patients samples were inadequate for analysis. Maximum no of malignant cases were 15, in the age group of 41-60 years and benign cases were 5 each, in age less than 40 years and in age group 41-60 yrs.On ultrasound, 28 patients had single lesions while 26 had multiple lesions. Most of the patients (30/54) had lesions in right lobe while only 10 patients had lesions in left lobe. In 14 patients, lesions were present in both lobes. Conclusion: The sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound findings with Fine needle aspiration cytology was 78.4% and 91.7% respectively for diagnosis of malignant lesions.