Study on the relationship between the contrast enhanced ultrasound and biological characteristics of primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Objective To study the relationship between different performance of contrast enhanced ultrasound and biological characteristics of hepatocellular carcinoma.Methods Eighty-nine patients(113 lesions) with hepatocellular carcinoma were observed the biological parameters as arterial phase perfusion features and the changes of the size of tumor after enhancement.All cases were pathologically confirmed and graded,and some were measured the microvessel density.Results The perfusion imaging of hepatocellular carcinoma was divided into 4 types: branch type,mixed type,ring type and network type.Considering the contrast enhanced ultrasound perfusion characteristics,pathology,microvessel density,and other prognostic parameters,the branch type was of infiltrative growth,the ring type was of expansionary growth,and the other types were of transitional type.Conclusion Arterial phase perfusion imaging features and enhanced tumor size and contour changes during contrast enhanced ultrasound reflect the way of the growth of hepatocellular carcinoma and the microvessel site and density.It can serve as a method to assess the biological behavior of hepatocellular carcinoma.