Evaluating the liver tumors using three-dimensional ultrasonography. A pictorial essay

The liver tumors represent a major public health issue. Among the imaging techniques, ultrasonography remains an important diagnostic method, taking into consideration its large availability, the non-invasive and repetitive characteristics and the low cost. Its current limits can be surpassed, at least at some extent, by using some new techniques such as the 3D ultrasonography. 3D ultra-sonography provides several advantages: increases the efficiency of the liver tumor screening by using the multislice function, allows a better time and human resource management, the precise location on three axes of the tumor and the exact assessment of the distances relative to the main vessel structures of the liver. It is also able to characterize the tumor texture and to sum up the total volume of liver masses, with applications in post-chemotherapy follow-up.