Abstract：Objective: To explore the value of detecting the changes of hepatic perfusion flow in diagnosis of diffuse liver lesions by contrast enhanced ultrasound. Methods: Thirty-four patients with various diffuse liver lesions and 20 normal subjects were recruited to be studied as control group. Each subject was administrated with a bolus injection of the ultrasound microbubble agent SonoVue(0.8ml) into an arm vein. The arrival times in the hepatic artery(ATHA), time to peak in the hepatic artery(TTPHA), peak intensity of the hepatic artery(PIHA), arrival times in the hepatic vein(ATHV), time to peak in the hepatic vein(TTPHV) and peak intensity of the hepatic vein(PIHV) were measured with the use of time-intensity curve software. The hepatic transit time(HTT) calculated from hepatic arrival times in the hepatic artery and the hepatic vein was compared with serum markers of hepatic fibrosis. Results: HTT was shorter in acute hepatitis group(P＜0.05) and significantly shorter in liver cirrhosis group(P＜0.01) than those of the control group. The coincidence rate in evaluating mild or moderate hepatic fibrosis by use of HTT was higher than that by use of serum markers of hepatic fibrosis(P＜0.05). Conclusions: Detecting the changes of hepatic perfusion flow by contrast enhanced ultrasound may help the diagnosis of liver diffuse lesions.
2008, Vol. 19 
