[Echography with portable equipment. Its possibilities and limits in the hepatobiliary area]

Ultrasound examination of the liver by simple low-cost equipment (LCUS) is currently performed. In order to evaluate the accuracy of this imaging technique in the detection of liver diseases, 150 outpatients were examined with a LCUS unit. The same patients were then re-examined with more sophisticated equipment (SEUS) in a department of radiology. The images thus obtained were compared to the previous ones: LCUS appears to be a valuable screening method, even though several US features--i.e. hyperechogenicity of the liver, focal hypoechoic lesions, and microlithiasis--are better demonstrated by more sophisticated units.