Cases Of Focal Nodular Hyperplasia Research Articles

A combined model based on radiomics features of Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the Kupffer phase for the diagnosis of well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma and atypical focal liver lesions: a prospective, multicenter study.

The objective of this study was to develop a combined model based on radiomics features of Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) during the Kupffer phase and to evaluate its value in differentiating well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (w-HCC) from atypical benign focal liver lesions (FLLs). A total of 116 patients with preoperatively Sonazoid-CEUS confirmed w-HCC or benign FLL were selected from a prospective multiple study on the clinical application of Sonazoid in FLLs conducted from August 2020 to March 2021. According to the randomization principle, the patients were divided into a training cohort and a test cohort in a 7:3 ratio. Seventy-nine patients were used for establishing and training the radiomics model and combined model. In comparison, 37 patients were used for validating and comparing the performance of the models. The diagnostic efficacy of the models for w-HCC and atypical benign FLLs was evaluated using ROCs curves and decision curves. A combined model nomogram was created to assess its value in reducing unnecessary biopsies. Among the patients, there were 55 cases of w-HCC and 61 cases of atypical benign FLLs, including 28 cases of early liver abscess, 16 cases of atypical hepatic hemangioma, 8 cases of hepatocellular dysplastic nodules (DN), and 9 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). The radiomics model and combined model we established had AUCs of 0.905 and 0.951, respectively, in the training cohort, and the AUCs of the two models in the test cohort were 0.826 and 0.912, respectively. The combined model outperformed the radiomics feature model significantly. Decision curve analysis demonstrated that the combined model achieved a higher net benefit within a specific threshold probability range (0.25 to 1.00). A nomogram of the combined model was developed. The combined model based on the radiomics features of Sonazoid-CEUS in the Kupffer phase showed satisfactory performance in diagnosing w-HCC and atypical benign FLLs. It can assist clinicians in timely detecting malignant FLLs and reducing unnecessary biopsies for benign diseases.

Pedunculated Focal Nodular Hyperplasia: When in Doubt, Should We Cut It Out?

Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is the second most common benign hepatic tumor and can rarely present as an exophytic solitary mass attached to the liver by a stalk. Most FNH cases are usually detected as incidental findings during surgery, imaging or physical examination and have a high female predominance. However, the pedunculated forms of FNH are particularly rare and commonly associated with severe complications and diagnostic challenges. Hence, our study aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the available data on the pedunculated FNH cases among adults and children. Furthermore, we will highlight the role of different therapeutic options in treating this clinical entity. The use of imaging techniques is considered a significant addition to the diagnostic toolbox. Regarding the optimal treatment strategy, the main indications for surgery were the presence of symptoms, diagnostic uncertainty and increased risk of complications, based on the current literature. Herein, we also propose a management algorithm for patients with suspected FNH lesions. Therefore, a high index of suspicion and awareness of this pathology and its life-threatening complications, as an uncommon etiology of acute abdomen, is of utmost importance in order to achieve better clinical outcomes.

The application value of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI based radiomics in the differential diagnosis of iso-or hyperintensity HCC and focal nodular hyperplasia in hepatobiliary phase

Objective: To investigate the application value of Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI based radiomics model in the differential diagnosis of iso-or hyperintensity HCC and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) in hepatobiliary phase. Methods: A total of 88 patients with HCC or FNH confirmed by surgical or puncture pathology who underwent preoperative Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI (all lesions showed iso-or hyperintensity in hepatobiliary phase) between January 2015 and February 2023 in The First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University and Nantong No.3 People's Hospital were retrospectively evaluated, which including 58 males and 30 females, aged [M(Q1, Q3)]56 (40, 67) years, including 61 patients with HCC and 27 patients with FNH. The included cases were divided into training (43 cases of HCC, 19 cases of FNH) and validation cohort (18 cases of HCC, 8 cases of FNH) in the ratio of 7∶3 using the random seeding method. A total of 1 781 radiomics features were extracted from Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI in the arterial, portal and hepatobiliary phases, respectively. The independent three phase models, combined three phases model and combined clinical-radiomics model was established using Auto-Encoder (AE) and Native Bayes (NB) classifier, respectively. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of these models. DeLong test was used to compare the areas under curve (AUC). Results: In the validation cohort, the combined clinical-radiomics model had the highest AUC (AUC=0.938, 95%CI: 0.828-1.000). The AUC, accuracy, sensitivity, specificity of the clinical-radiomics combined model using AE classifier in the validation cohort were 0.896 (95%CI: 0.760-1.000), 88.5%, 88.9%, 87.5%. The AUC of the clinical-radiomics combined model using NB classifier in the validation cohort were 0.938 (95%CI: 0.828-1.000), 92.3%, 88.9%, 100.0%. Conclusion: Gd-EOB-DTPA enhanced MRI combined clinical-radiomics model has certain value in preoperative differentiation of iso-or hyperintensity in the hepatobiliary phase HCC and FNH, with a high accuracy, sensitivity and specificity.

Focal Nodular Hyperplasia-Like Lesions With Glypican-3 Positivity in Infancy.

Glypican-3 is often used to discriminate between neoplastic and nonneoplastic liver. In focal lesions, positivity may be considered suggestive of a malignancy such as hepatoblastoma. However, glypican-3 is also normally expressed in the immature liver. We present a series of 5 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH)-like lesions arising in very young patients with glypican-3 expression and highlight the challenges these lesions present in the differential diagnosis of hepatoblastoma. Cases were obtained from the files of 3 tertiary pediatric hospitals. Clinical data were obtained from the electronic medical record and histopathologic material including immunohistochemical stains were reviewed. Patients were aged 2 weeks to 6 months with peak AFP levels ranging from 88.6 to 204,696 ng/mL. Microscopically, all were variably demarcated hepatocellular lesions with cords of hepatocytes, marked sinusoidal dilatation, and occasional fibrous bands and areas reminiscent of central scar with bile ducts. No significant cytologic atypia or increased mitotic activity were present. All showed glypican-3 expression and were negative for nuclear beta-catenin with intact reticulin framework. Our study highlights the pitfalls of evaluating focal liver lesions in infants when high AFP levels and glypican-3 expression may reflect immaturity rather than neoplasia.

Prominent Pseudoacini in Focal Nodular Hyperplasia: A Potential Diagnostic Pitfall.

Pseudoacini are generally a morphologic feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), being absent or rare in benign hepatocytic tumors, such as hepatocellular adenoma. However, rarely these can be seen in focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and may pose diagnostic challenges, especially when prominent. The study was aimed to evaluate the occurrence of pseudoacini in FNH and their clinicopathologic correlations. A total of 95 FNH cases diagnosed from 2005 to 2020 were included in the study. A pseudoacinus was defined as a circular arrangement of hepatocytes around a central dilated lumen present within the lobular parenchyma of the lesion with or without inspissated bile. Among the 95 FNH cases, 28 (29.5%) showed pseudoacini, which were prominent in 12 (12.6%) cases. Of these 3 occurred in patients above 50 years old. The pseudoacini were numerous in 3 cases, leading to an initial consideration of HCC in the differential diagnosis, and 1 case was diagnosed as well-differentiated hepatocellular neoplasm on initial biopsy. All 12 cases showed map-like staining pattern for glutamine synthetase. The hepatocytes forming the pseudoacini were positive for CK7 and HepPar1, while the inner lumina were highlighted by CD10 and bile salt export pump immunostains similar to adjacent canaliculi. The presence of prominent pseudoacini was not significantly associated with any clinical or pathologic features. The findings suggest that pseudoacini are likely manifestation of hepatocyte biliary transdifferentiation associated with chronic cholestasis in the lesion. This feature may pose a potential diagnostic pitfall especially on needle biopsies and awareness is needed to avoid misdiagnosing this as HCC.

The role of heat shock protein 70 and glypican 3 expression in early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the fourth most common cause of cancer-related deaths in the world and accounts for ~90% of primary liver carcinoma cases. This study aimed to evaluate the combination of two markers (HSP70 and GPC3) immunohistochemical expression in early detection of HCC. Materials and methods This study included 56 cases of primary hepatic lesions, five cases of focal nodular hyperplasia, five cases of hepatic adenoma, 33 cases of small vaguely nodular lesions (five of dysplastic nodule and 28 of early HCC), and 13 cases of late HCC. Results The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of HSP70 for HCC detection were 78.2, 100, 100, and 24.1%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values of GPC3 for HCC detection were 60, 100, 100, and 36.8%, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values for this combination (HSP70+GPC3) were 100, 100, 100, and 100%, respectively. Conclusion The immunoexpression of the two markers HSP70 and GPC3 is valuable in distinguishing between dysplastic nodules and early HCC. When the two markers are positive, the optimal sensitivity and specificity for detection of early HCC are obtained. The results of our study strikingly support the combination of the two markers together in the diagnostic distinction of nonconfirmed hepatic lesions of malignancies but do not support the use of both separately.

Comparison of IDEAL-IQ and IVIM-DWI for Differentiating between Alpha Fetoprotein-Negative Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Focal Nodular Hyperplasia

Background: To compare the differential diagnostic value of iterative decomposition of water and fat with the echo asymmetrical and least-squares estimation quantitation sequence (IDEAL-IQ) with that of intravoxel incoherent motion diffusion-weighted imaging (IVIM DWI) in differentiating between alpha fetoprotein (AFP)-negative hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). Materials and Methods: A total of 28 AFP-negative HCC cases and 15 FNH cases were scanned using the IDEAL-IQ and IVIM-DWI magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocols. Two radiologists independently assessed the fat fraction (FF) and the iron level surrogate (R2*) derived from the IDEAL-IQ images and the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC), pure diffusion coefficient (D), pseudo-diffusion coefficient (D*), and perfusion fraction (f) derived from the IVIM-DWI images. The intraclass correlation coefficients (ICC) were estimated to evaluate the agreement repeatability between the two readers. The area under the curve (AUC) of a receiver operating characteristics curve was used to compare the diagnostic efficiency of the parameters extracted from the two techniques. Results: The lesions in the HCC group had significantly higher FF than the FNH group (8.284 ± 5.756 vs. 2.559 ± 1.247, P < 0.05). ADC and D values were lower in the HCC lesions when compared with the FNH lesions (1.310 ± 0.253 and 0.909 ± 0.192, respectively, vs. 1.624 ± 0.304 and 1.230 ± 0.314; ×10−3 mm2 /s). The FF parameter had the highest AUC (0.923) followed by D (0.864) and ADC (0.854). Conclusions: FF derived from IDEAL-IQ, and ADC and D derived from IVIM-DWI were able to differentiate AFP-negative HCC from FNH. IDEAL-IQ showed better performance for the differentiation of FNH from HCC than the IVIM-DWI-derived parameters.

Diagnostic challenges of focal nodular hyperplasia: interobserver variability, accuracy, and the utility of glutamine synthetase immunohistochemistry.

The diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) and the interpretation of glutamine synthetase (GS) staining can be challenging on biopsies. We aimed to evaluate the reproducibility of needle biopsy diagnosis of FNH, the effect of GS immunohistochemistry on FNH diagnosis, and which histological features are most useful for the diagnosis of FNH. The study included virtual needle biopsies generated from 75 resection specimens (30 FNHs, 15 hepatocellular adenomas, 15 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 15 non-lesional liver specimens). Pathologists were reasonably accurate (83.1%) in the diagnosis of FNH with haematoxylin and eosin alone. Ductular reaction and nodularity had the highest sensitivity for a diagnosis of FNH (88.1% and 82.2%, respectively), whereas central scar was the most specific feature (90.6%). The presence of two or more of the classic histological features had 89.6% sensitivity and 86.2% specificity for a diagnosis of FNH. Diagnostic accuracy was significantly higher with the addition of a GS stain. A map-like GS staining pattern was highly specific (99.3%) for FNH. However, GS staining was interpreted as non-map-like in 14.4% of reviews of true FNH cases, and overall interobserver agreement for interpretation of the GS staining pattern was only moderate (kappa=0.42). Pathologists are reasonably accurate in the diagnosis of FNH on virtual biopsies, and GS staining improves accuracy. However, a subset of FNH cases remain challenging. Steatosis and a pseudo-map-like GS staining pattern were associated with increased difficulty. Therefore, although a map-like GS staining pattern is useful for confirmation of a diagnosis, the lack of a map-like GS staining pattern on needle biopsy does not necessarily exclude a diagnosis of FNH.

LAPAROSCOPIC LIVER RESECTION FOR BENIGN TUMORS: THE CURRENT POSITION.

ABSTRACT - BACKGROUND:The main indications of the use of laparoscopic liver surgery (LLS), in the early days, were benign liver lesions. As LLS became more popular, indications for malignant diseases outnumbered those for benign ones. This study aims to rule out the indications and results of LLS for the treatment of benign liver tumors.METHODS: Out of 445 LLS performed in a single center, 100 (22.4%) were for benign tumors. The authors discuss the indications for resection and present their perioperative results.RESULTS: In total, 100 patients with benign tumors were evaluated. Specifically, these were as follows: 66 cases of hepatocellular adenomas; 14 cases of biliary mucinous neoplasm; 13 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia; 4 cases of angiomyolipomas; and 3 cases of hemangiomas with a mean size of 7.6 cm (ranging from 3.1 to 19.6 cm). The total morbidity rate was 19%, with 9% classified as Clavien-Dindo grades 3 or 4. No mortality was observed.CONCLUSION: LLS for benign liver tumors is safe and presents excellent results. However, indications for resection are increasingly restricted and should not be performed just because it is a minimally invasive procedure.

Focal nodular hyperplasia: new findings at Doppler ultrasonography.

The aim of our study was to explore the features of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) at Doppler ultrasonography, analyzing specifically the presence of intratumoral venous flow in patients with an established diagnosis of FNH. Previous studies showed that using a venous Doppler spectrum, intratumoral vessels are often depicted in hepatocellular adenoma (HCA) but less frequently in FNH. Forty-five FNHs from thirty-three consecutive patients (26 female, 7 male; mean±SD age: 40±13) underwent color Doppler ultrasonography and spectral analysis according to a standardized protocol. FNH diagnosis was established by the presence of typical behavior at contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) associated with another imaging technique (contrast-enhanced computed tomography [ceCT] or contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance [ceMR]). A biopsy was performed when imaging was inconclusive. All data concerning Doppler analysis were reviewed by two more operators, blinded to the final diagnosis, and the interobserver agreement for the presence of venous Doppler signal was determined by Cohen's Kappa. Of the 33 patients, 24 had a single solitary focus, and 9 had multiple foci. Lesion diameter ranged between 1.2 and 8.9 cm (mean ± SD 3.2±1.6 cm). The central feeding artery with the typical arterial spectrum was detected in all 45 lesions, whereas the spoke-wheel sign was observed in 18 cases (40%). A venous Doppler signal was detected in 35 FNHs (77.8%), and in 60% of them, it was identified in the center of the lesion. Venous Doppler signal located in the center of the lesion suspected to be a hypervascular benign lesion cannot be considered a typical HCA feature since it has been detected in a high percentage of FNH cases.

Diagnosis of liver tumors by multimodal ultrasound imaging.

To investigate the diagnostic value of multimodal ultrasound imaging composed of conventional ultrasonography (US), contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS), and shear wave elastography (SWE) for liver tumors.Between October 2017 and October 2019, US, CEUS, and SWE examinations of a total of 158 liver tumors in 136 patients at The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang University were performed. The histopathological or imaging diagnostic results were used as controls to evaluate the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of US, CEUS, SWE, and multimodal ultrasound imaging, which combines these 3 modes, in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors.Among the 158 tumors, there were 64 benign tumors, including 55 cases of hepatic hemangioma, 3 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver, 4 cases of hepatic cyst, and 2 cases of focal nonuniform distribution of fat in the liver. There were 94 malignant tumors, including 32 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, 22 cases of intrahepatic cholangiocellular carcinoma, 29 cases of metastatic liver cancer, and 11 cases of dysplastic nodules in cirrhotic liver. In the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were 82.56%, 68.06%, 75.96%, 75.53%, and 76.56% for US; 92.39%, 86.36%, 89.87%, 90.43%, and 89.06% for CEUS; 87.14%, 76.81%, 82.91%, 82.98%, and 82.81% for SWE; and 97.85%, 95.38%, 96.83%, 96.81%, and 96.88% for multimodal ultrasound imaging, respectively. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value were all significantly higher for multimodal ultrasound imaging than those values for US, CEUS, and SWE (all P < .05). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve for US, CEUS, SWE, and multimodal ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors were 0.760, 0.897, 0.829, and 0.968, respectively.US, CEUS, and SWE all have diagnostic value in the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors. Multimodal ultrasound imaging could significantly increase the accuracy of the diagnosis of benign and malignant liver tumors and has higher value for clinical application.

Benign Hepatic Tumors: From Incidental Imaging Finding to Clinical Management.

Benign hepatic tumors (BHTs) are commonly detected as incidental finding mainly due to the frequent utilization of imaging modalities, including ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Rigorous clinical evaluation, with a particular focus on chronic liver disease (CLD) or risk factors for CLD, medication history, physical examination for signs of CLD, blood tests, and a review of past liver radiology constitute the initial steps in the evaluation of a new liver lesion. Further, contrast-enhanced imaging using US, CT and MRI, can be used depending on the clinical scenario and their availability. The contrast-enhanced MRI provides detailed tissue assessment while avoiding exposure to radiations, although it is scarcely available and expensive. While the liver tissue-specific protocols ensure precise diagnosis, a biopsy is recommended in selected or doubtful cases. Further, most BHTs, such as hemangiomas, are harmless and do not require special management or follow-up, the hepatic adenomas and large or atypical cases of focal nodular hyperplasia are clinically relevant and require management/follow-up. In such cases, it is favorable to have a multidisciplinary team approach, which includes hepatologist, radiologist, hepatobiliary surgeon, and pathologist. This review aims to elaborate the current understanding of BHTs, and provide a practical guidance for primary care and practitioners of family and internal medicine for the disease evaluation and management.

Primary clinical application of shear wave elastography combined with shear wave dispersion in differentiating diagnosis of focal liver lesions

Objective To investigate the initial clinical value of shear wave elastography (SWE) combined with shear wave dispersion (SWD) in preoperatively differentiating diagnosis of focal liver lesions (FLLs). Methods Eighty-three patients diagnosed as FLLs were prospectively enrolled from January to April 2018 in Zhongshan Hospital of Fudan University. Measurements of SWD and SWE both inner FLLs and surrounding liver parenchyma 2 cm away from the board lines of lesions were performed. ROIs were placed within the lesions and surrounding parenchyma 2 cm away from the lesions. In each ROI, measurements were performed 13 times. Histopathological results after operation were regarded as gold standard, and the values of viscoelasticity in differentiating diagnosis of FLLs were analyzed. Results The final histopathological results showed that of all 83 cases, 20 cases were diagnosed as benign lesions (5 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia, 15 cases of hemangioma), and 63 cases as malignant lesions (12 cases of liver metastases, 51 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma). The SWE of benign lesions and malignant lesions were (9.94±8.22)kPa, and (13.68±7.80)kPa(P<0.05). The SWD of benign lesions and malignant lesions were (13.47±2.76)(m/s)/kHz, and (15.00±3.82)(m/s)/kHz(P<0.05). The SWE ratio and SWD ratio of benign lesions to surrounding liver parenchyma were higher than those of malignant lesions(all P<0.05). The SWE ratio of benign and malignant lesions were 2.60±2.65, and 1.40±1.40, respectively (P<0.05). The SWD ratio of benign and malignant lesions were 0.92±0.44, and 0.80±0.51, respectively(P<0.05). Conclusions With the advantages of effectiveness, convenience, non-invasiveness and repeatability, combined measurement of SWE and SWD has a potential value in differentiating diagnosis of liver lesions. Key words: Shear wave elastography; Shear wave dispersion; Viscoelasticy; Liver neoplasms; Differential diagnosis

Hypervascular hepatic focal lesions on dynamic contrast-enhanced CT: preliminary data from arterial phase scans texture analysis for classification

To investigate the ability of computed tomography texture analysis (CTTA) to distinguish different hypervascular hepatic focal lesions. CTTA software was used to analyse retrospectively 18 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia, 10 cases of hepatic adenoma, 20 cases of haemangioma, 20 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma, and 20 cases of hepatic metastases using arterial phase scans. A list of texture features was generated for lesion classification. Fisher's discriminant analysis (FDA) was used to construct a predictive model from these parameters and to estimate the discriminant accuracy. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance of texture analysis of benign and malignant tumours. Fifteen texture features were significant differences between the five different histopathological types of all lesions. The total discriminant accuracy was 69.3%, with 55.7% cross-validation accuracy. Seven texture features showed significant differences between the benign and malignant tumours. The total discriminant accuracy in the sample was 83%, with 77.3% cross-validation accuracy. The area under the ROC curve (AUROC) of united texture features was 0.927 (95% confidence interval [CI]=0.875-0.979). CTTA can be used as an aid in the differential diagnosis of hypervascular solidfocal hepatic lesions, especially the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant lesions.

Enhancement characteristics of liver focal nodular hyperplasia (less than 3 cm) by contrast-enhanced ultrasound

Objective To analyze the typical contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) enhancement characteristics of hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) within 3 cm, and to discuss the diagnostic value of CEUS in small FNH lesions. Methods Forty-eight cases of FNH were retrospectively studied. All lesions were confirmed histopathologically after surgical resection. CEUS examinations with SonoVue were performed to characterize the enhancement patterns of lesions in 5 minutes. The whole wash in and wash out enhancement procedure of lesions were recorded and analyzed. Results All FNH lesions displayed a rapid hyper-enhancement in arterial phase by CEUS, 39 lesions of which showed spring-like enhancement; 8 lesions showed spoke-like enhancement; 1 lesion showed dendritic enhancement. 6.3%(3/48) of the lesions showed central scar, and feeding arteries was found in 52.1%(25/48) lesions. According to echogenicity shift of the lesions in various phases, 20.8%(10/48) FNH showed fast-in and slow-out , 64.6%(31/48) showed fast-in and synchronous-out , and 14.6%(7/48) showed fast-in and fast-out . According to fast-in and synchronous-out or fast-in and slow-out by CEUS, the accuracy rate of benignity reached 85.4%(41/48). According to any of the spring-like enhancement, spoke-like enhancement, central scars or feeding arteries, the accuracy rate of diagnosis of FNH within 3 cm reached 97.9%(47/48), and 81.3%(39/48) of which were diagnosed through spring-like enhancement. Conclusions CEUS is helpful in diagnosis of FNH within 3 cm by showing various characteristic enhancement patterns, and spring-like enhancement is the most important sign in diagnosis of FNH less than 3 cm. CEUS has high diagnostic value for FNH less than 3 cm. Key words: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Liver focal nodular hyperplasia; Enhancement pattern

Primary Application of Micro-Flow Imaging Technology in the Diagnosis of Hepatic Tumors

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the vascular architecture of focal liver lesions with the newly released non-contrast micro-flow imaging (MFI) technique. Eighty patients with 80 hepatic tumors were enrolled in this study. The richness of displayed blood flow was first compared with color Doppler flow imaging using grades according to Adler's method. The results indicated that MFI outperformed color Doppler flow imaging with a statistically significant difference (p <0.0001). With the enhanced position in arterial phase of contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging as the ground truth, the displayed blood flow distribution within tumors in MFI was further evaluated. The coincidence rate between MFI and contrast-enhanced ultrasound was 73.75% (59/80), which was higher than that of color Doppler flow imaging (52.5%, 42/80) (p < 0.0001). Moreover, for the five cases of focal nodular hyperplasia, MFI clearly revealed the spoke-wheel or radiating intra-tumoral vasculature, a finding specific to the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia.

Liver Multiacinar Regenerative Nodules: Imaging Findings and Clinical Implications.

Multiacinar regenerative nodules are benign hepatocellular nodules related to vascular disturbances of the liver. Theystrongly resemble conventional focal nodular hyperplasia but are connected to different clinical settings, typically chronic liver disease.The purpose of the present study was to describe the key imaging features of these lesions and compare them with a control arm offocal nodular hyperplasia. A blinded consensus review of liver magnetic resonance consisting of 26 cases of multiacinar regenerativenodules and 25 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia was performed. Lesion size, shape, margins, structure, T1 and T2 signal intensity,diffusion and contrast-enhanced features (including hepatobiliary phase), presence of a central scar and of a peripheral hypointenserim were compared between the two groups. Significant differences between multiacinar regenerative nodules and focal nodular hyperplasia included size (median 2.35cm, IQR: 2.13, vs 6.00 cm, IQR: 5.20, respectively, p < 0.001), presence of a peripheral hypointense rim after contrast (n = 9 vs n = 2cases, p = 0.038) and of a central scar (n = 9 vs n = 20, p = 0.002). There were no other significant differences. Overall multiacinar regenerative nodules and focal nodular hyperplasia have very similar imaging features but lack of acentral scar and presence of a hypointense rim should suggest a diagnosis of multiacinar regenerative nodules. Recognition of the imaging findings of multiacinar regenerative nodules can explain some atypical cases of focal nodularhyperplasia, avoiding unnecessary biopsies. They may also be the trigger to investigate an unsuspected underlying liver vascularabnormality.

Ultra-Cut biopsy guided by ultrasonography for liver lesions: experience of 392 clinical cases

We conducted a retrospective study of the accuracy of liver biopsies in 392 patients with liver lesions. Postbiopsy diagnosis was 297 cases of primary liver cancers, 79 cases of secondary malignant tumors, 2 cases of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, 10 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia, 2 cases of chronic inflammation, 1 tuberculosis case and 1 schistosomiasis case. Biopsy provided histological diagnosis in 100% of cases, sensibility and specificity of Ultra-Cut biopsy was 98. 95% and 100% for the diagnosis of malignancy respectively; positive predictive value, 100%; negative predictive value, 71. 43%; and accuracy, 98. 98%. We identified no major procedure related complications despite the presence of thrombocytopenia in 37. 5% of cases. Pain was the only reported adverse effect of liver biopsy (10.97%), and 11 patients required analgesics. We concluded that Ultra-Cut liver biopsy was a safe and effective technique, and was invaluable in the investigation and management of patients with liver lesions.

Focal nodular hyperplasia: our experience of 53 Japanese cases.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a very sensitive diagnostic tool in characterizing liver tumors. It is especially useful in the diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) of the liver. According to the previous reports, FNH is common in young women, and it is usually diagnosed by MRI. The majority of the previous reports come from European countries, and a very few studies of large series designed to describe the clinical features in Japanese patients have been reported. The aim of this study was to (a) describe the clinical features in 53 patients (59 lesions) diagnosed with CEUS and (b) compare the data with those from the previous reports. The medical data from 53 patients diagnosed on the basis of typical CEUS findings at our institution and affiliated hospitals were reviewed, and their clinical data were analyzed. (1) The medical data from 53 cases showed a slight male predilection, with 30 male cases (57%) and 23 female cases (43%), although the occurrence in both sexes was equal. FNH cases were distributed throughout all generations in both sexes, mostly concentrated in the age of 30-60years old, and metabolic cases were more common in men than in women (4 vs 0). (2) The lesions were small (mean: 23mm) and distributed throughout the whole liver. (3) Lesion size was not influenced by age in either sex. (4) A rapid draining to the hepatic vein was recognized in five out of 59 lesions (8%). Our data indicate that FNH occurs slightly more frequently in men than in women in Japan. It occurs also at any age in both sexes, but the mean lesion size was smaller in our series than in the previous reports. Metabolic disease was seen only in male FNH patients. A direct communication between the FNH lesion and the hepatic vein is diagnostically worth noting.

Preliminary data using computed tomography texture analysis for the classification of hypervascular liver lesions: generation of a predictive model on the basis of quantitative spatial frequency measurements--a work in progress.

Computed tomography texture analysis (CTTA) is a method of quantifying lesion heterogeneity based on distribution of pixel intensities within a region of interest. This study investigates the ability of CTTA to distinguish different hypervascular liver lesions and compares CTTA parameters by creating a proof-of-concept model to distinguish between different lesions. Following institutional review board approval, CTTA software (TexRAD Ltd) was used to retrospectively analyze 17 cases of focal nodular hyperplasia, 19 hepatic adenomas, 25 hepatocellular carcinomas, and 19 cases of normal liver parenchyma using arterial phase scans. Two radiologists read the same image series used by the CTTA software and reported their best guess diagnosis. Computed tomography texture analysis parameters were computed from regions of interest using spatial band-pass filters to quantify heterogeneity. Random-forest method was used to construct a predictive model from these parameters, and a separate regression model was created using a subset of parameters. The random-forest model successfully distinguished the 3 lesion types and normal liver with predicted classification performance accuracy for 91.2% for adenoma, 94.4% for focal nodular hyperplasia, and 98.6% for hepatocellular carcinoma. This error prediction was generated using a subset of data points not used in generation of the model, but not on discrete prospective cases. In contrast, the 2 human readers using the same image series data analyzed by the CTTA software had lower accuracies, of 72.2% and 65.6%, respectively. The explicit regression model with a subset of image parameters had intermediate overall accuracy of 84.9%. Computed tomography texture analysis may prove valuable in lesion characterization. Differentiation between common hypervascular lesion types could be aided by the judicious incorporation of texture parameters into clinical analysis.