Related Experiment Videos
Three-dimensional gray scale volume rendering of the liver: preliminary clinical experience
Hui-Xiong Xu1, Ming-De Lu, Yu-Qing Zhou
1Department of Medical Ultrasonics, The First Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou, People's Republic of China.
Objective:
To investigate the potential clinical usefulness of three-dimensional gray scale volume rendering in the liver.
Methods:
Sixty-two patients were enrolled in the study and categorized into 2 groups: group I with ascites and group II without. Two types of volume-rendering modes, i.e., surface and transparent, were used to obtain the three-dimensional images. The data were reviewed to identify the differences between two- and three-dimensional images of the liver in each subject.
Results:
In group I, three-dimensional sonography was superior to two-dimensional sonography in terms of surface features, edges, overall three-dimensional impression, image clarity, and structural relationships. However, it seemed that three-dimensional sonography in the surface mode was inferior to two-dimensional sonography in showing intrahepatic structures, because it had decreased resolution. In group II, three-dimensional sonography was superior to two-dimensional sonography with respect to the continuity of intrahepatic vessels, overall three-dimensional impression of the vessels, image clarity, and the relationship between lesions and neighboring vessels. However, the resolution of the lesions was decreased in 7 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma.
Conclusions:
Our experience suggests that three-dimensional gray scale volume rendering of the liver provides more diagnostic information than two-dimensional sonography; however, further studies are needed to evaluate its clinical importance.