Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of histologically proven liver hemangiomas

Differentiation of small and atypical hemangiomas from other hepatic masses using imaging methods can be difficult, especially in patients with underlying malignant disease. Therefore, contrast-enhanced ultrasound was assessed in patients with histologically confirmed hemangiomas with respect to contrast-enhancing kinetics and tumor characteristics. In 58 patients with indeterminate hepatic lesions demonstrated with at least 2 imaging methods (ultrasound/computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging), ultrasound-guided liver biopsy revealed hemangioma. In all patients a hepatic neoplasm had been suspected because of underlying malignant disease (n=41), liver cirrhosis (n=15), or growth of the lesion (n=2). All patients underwent nonlinear, low mechanical index real-time contrast-enhanced ultrasound scanning with bolus injections of SonoVue. Peripheral nodular arterial enhancement was detected in 43 patients (74%), whereas the typical metastatic peripheral rim-like enhancement was not observed at all. Strong homogenous arterial enhancement was found in 9 of 58 (16%) patients. In 6 patients (10%), the arterial contrast enhancement pattern could not be determined because of the very small size of the lesions or fibrotic nodules. Forty-five (78%) of the hemangiomas showed homogenous centripetal filling within 180 seconds.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound demonstrates typical hemangioma imaging characteristics, that is, peripheral nodular contrast enhancement and iris-diaphragm sign in a high percentage of patients with undetermined lesions. This technique may therefore improve noninvasive functional characterization and differentiation of hemangiomas.