Dynamic computed tomography during arterial portography: the most sensitive examination for small hepatocellular carcinomas.

The efficacy of dynamic sequential CT with table incrementation during arterial portography (DSCTI-AP) in the detection of small hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC) (less than 3 cm in diameter and less than three in number) was analyzed in comparison with other imaging methods including radionuclide (RN) liver scans, ultrasound (US), CT, selective celiac angiography (SCA), and infusion hepatic angiography (IHA). The sensitivity of each study in detecting 19 cases of small HCC was as follows: RN, 16%; US, 63%; CT, 58%; SCA, 58%; IHA, 83%; and DSCTI-AP, 95%. Three of 19 cases were diagnosed only by DSCTI-AP and one case that could not be visualized by DSCTI-AP was opacified by IHA. Dynamic sequential CT with table incrementation during arterial portography was superior to IHA in visualizing small HCCs.