Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: The American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the European Association for the Study of the Liver exclude any role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) while the Italian Association for the Study of the Liver suggests its use for larger HCC. This study evaluated the accuracy of CEUS in comparison with computed tomography (CT) in the diagnosis of HCC and of residual of HCC after treatment.

Materials And Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 124 patients with 148 HCC nodules: 34 small (≤20 mm) and 114 large nodules (>20 mm).