Brief Reports
Copyright ©2005 Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Jun 21, 2005; 11(23): 3610-3613
Published online Jun 21, 2005. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v11.i23.3610
Contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic imaging diagnosis on assessment of vascularity in liver metastatic lesions
Wen-Hua Du, Wei-Xiao Yang, Xiu-Qin Xiong, Xiang Wang, Yi Zhou, Hui Wang
Wen-Hua Du, Wei-Xiao Yang, Xiu-Qin Xiong, Xiang Wang, Yi Zhou, Hui Wang, Department of Ultrasonography, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Supported by the National Science Foundation of China, No. 30070227 and the Foundation of the Chongqing Committee of Science and Technology, No. 7446
Correspondence to: Wen-Hua Du, Department of Ultrasound, Daping Hospital and Research Institute of Surgery, the Third Military Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China. duwenhua001@163.com
Telephone: +86-23-68757441
Received: December 23, 2003
Revised: December 24, 2003
Accepted: January 12, 2004
Published online: June 21, 2005
Abstract

AIM: To investigate the vasculature of rabbit liver metastatic lesions by color Doppler imaging and power Doppler imaging (PDI) techniques.

METHODS: Eight New Zealand rabbits with implanted VX2 liver tumors were used. All ultrasound examinations were performed with a HP 5500 color Doppler ultrasound scanner. Before and after the injection of contrast agent, the changes of gray scale and the periphery and intralesional blood flow of the liver metastatic lesion were carefully observed by B mode ultrasound, color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and PDI.

RESULTS: Twelve lesions were found in the eight rabbits with implanted VX2 liver tumors, whose diameter ranged from 1.6 to 4.8 cm. Echoes of these lesions were not characterized and has lack of specificity. After the injection of contrast agent, the numbers of dot or strip-like flow messages increased both at the periphery and inside of these lesions under the mode of CDFI and PDI, and were more pronounced under PDI. Morphology of intralesional vessels extended, even branched and some signals were clearly found encircling the lesion. And some vessels were found penetrating into the center of the lesion.

CONCLUSION: PDI after injection of self-made echo contrast agent can show a pronounced sensitivity than that of B mode ultrasound and CDFI in diagnosis of vascularity of a metastatic lesion.

Keywords: Doppler imaging; Vasculature; Color Doppler imaging