[Evaluation of Doppler sonographic criteria for the differentiation of hepatocellular carcinomas and regenerative nodules in patients with liver cirrhosis].

AIM: In order to improve the differentiation between hepatocellular carcinomas and regenerative nodules in patients with liver cirrhosis, Doppler-sonographic criteria for the tumours were evaluated.
METHOD: Patients with histologically proven hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 35) and regenerative nodules (n = 10) were investigated by B-mode sonography as well as fundamental and echo-enhanced power-Doppler sonography focusing on specific properties of the tumours. The results were correlated to the histological findings.
RESULTS: Hepatocellular carcinomas and regenerative nodules showed a different contrast behaviour with echo-enhanced power-Doppler sonography. The following features of hepatocellular carcinomas were frequently found: peritumoural signal detection in the early arterial phase, chaotic and centripetal contrast enhancement in the arterial phase, hypervascularization in the capillary phase, and loss of portalvenous blood flow.
CONCLUSION: Hepatocellular carcinomas and regenerative nodules display different vascularization patterns in the echo-enhanced power-Doppler sonography. These characteristics can be useful for their differential diagnosis.