Detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhotic patients: sensitivity of CT and ultrasonography.

Patients with cirrhosis are at increased risk for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma. The heterogeneous hepatic parenchyma produced by cirrhosis makes detection of hepatomas more difficult. The purpose of this study was to determine the sensitivities of CT and ultrasonography for detecting hepatomas in cirrhotic patients. A retrospective analysis was performed of 733 patients who underwent liver transplantation at our institution. A study population of 21 patients was selected who met our inclusion criteria. The inclusion criteria required a pathologic diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma, pathologic evidence of cirrhosis, and contrast-enhanced CT and sonographic examinations performed within 1 week of each other. The sensitivities of CT and ultrasonography were determined by comparing the imaging findings with pathology findings from serially sectioned total hepatectomy specimens. A total of 40 hepatomas were detected pathologically in the 21 patients in our study population. CT identified 12 of 21 patients with hepatomas and detected 18 of 40 individual lesions (patient detection sensitivity = 57%, lesion detection sensitivity = 45%). Ultrasonography identified 14 of 21 patients with hepatomas and detected 21 of 40 individual lesions (patient detection sensitivity = 67%, lesion detection sensitivity = 51%). Combining the findings of CT and ultrasonography allowed identification of 17 of 21 patients with hepatomas and detection of 24 of 40 individual lesions (patient detection sensitivity = 80%, lesion detection sensitivity = 60%). We conclude that CT and ultrasonography have a low sensitivity for the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis.