Ultrasonographic-pathologic correlation of malignant hepatic masses

Characterization of the source of hepatic malignancy would be useful in directing a patient's workup, saving time and expense. We attempted to correlate the echographic appearance of malignant hepatic masses with the pathologic (44 patients) or clinical (1 patient) diagnosis in 45 consecutive patients scanned to evaluate this problem. In 31 patients the lesions were hyperechoic (28) or predominantly hyperechoic with central lucency. Of these lesions, 25 represented metastases from adenocarcinoma of the colon (17), pancreas (6), or unknown origin (2). Six patients with metastatic adenocarcinoma had predominantly echolucent lesions. Of the 14 malignancies of other histologic types, 6 were largely hyperechoic and could not be distinguished from adenocarcinoma metastases. No correlations could be drawn between the ultrasound patterns and the tumor source in this diverse group fo malignancies. In eight patients receiving chemotherapy, sequential examinations failed to reveal any alteration in the echographic patterns of their lesions. These results indicate that the ultrasound appearance of hepatic malignancy lacks specificity in defining the organ of origin. Such factors as homogeneity, vascularity, or desmoplastic response may be more important than cell type in producing the echographic pattern.