A study of blood supply of liver tumors using duplex Doppler ultrasound and color Doppler flow imaging.

With the use of duplex Doppler ultrasound and color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), the characteristics of blood supply in neoplasma were studied in 51 cases of 60 liver tumors, and compared with the results of surgery, pathological examination and hepatic arterial angiography. The result showed that: 1. Doppler blood flow signals could be detected in all hepatic carcinomas, and in 10 cases of 18 hemangiomas, significant difference was observed (P < 0.001); 2. Doppler blood flow spectra showed pulsatile pattern in 41 of 42 hepatic carcinomas, and in 6 of 10 hemangiomas (P < 0.01); and 3. the peak flow velocity was obviously lower in hemangioma group than in hepatic carcinoma group (20.34 +/- 23.93 vs 64.74 +/- 30.18 cm, P < 0.001). The characteristics of CDFI show that hemangiomas and hepatocellular carcinomas are different. It can, therefore, be concluded that the blood supply of hepatic carcinomas mainly comes from hepatic arterial system, and is of value in duplex Doppler ultrasound and CDFI.