Loco-regional treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: Role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

World J Hepatol. 2022 May 27;14(5):911-922. doi: 10.4254/wjh.v14.i5.911. Epub 2022 Apr 7.ABSTRACTHepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the few cancers for which locoregional treatments (LRTs) are included in international guidelines and are considered as a valid alternative to conventional surgery. According to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification, percutaneous treatments such as percutaneous ethanol injection, radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation are the therapy of choice among curative treatments in patients categorized as very early and early stage, while transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is considered the better option for intermediate stage HCC. A precise assessment of treatment efficacy and surveillance is essential to optimize survival rate, whereas residual tumor requires additional treatment. Imaging modalities play a key role in this task. Currently, contrast-enhanced computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging are considered the standard imaging modalities for this purpose. Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), using second generation contrast agents, plays an increasingly important role in detecting residual disease after LRTs. CEUS is a straightforward to perform, repeatable and cost-effective imaging modality for patients with renal failure or iodine allergies. Due to the ability to focus on single regions, CEUS can also provide high temporal resolution. Moreover, several studies have reported the same or better diagnostic accuracy ...
Source: World Journal of Hepatology - Category: Gastroenterology Authors: Source Type: research