[Color-coded duplex sonography of liver tumors. Does the blood supply permit a conclusion on staging?]

Real-time ultrasonography is a sensitive screening method in patients with suspected liver tumors. However, sonomorphology does not differentiate between benign and malignant tumors. In a prospective study we examined patients with liver tumors with color-coded duplex ultrasonography to find out whether the perfusion status of the liver tumor permits a differential diagnosis. A total of 108 patients with liver tumors were included, and the results of color-coded duplex sonography were compared with histology, MRI and CT. No correlation was seen between the final diagnosis and the perfusion pattern. The vascular status visualized by color-coded duplex ultrasonography does not permit differentiation between benign and malignant liver tumors.