| [ Summary ] |
Typical findings for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) include arterial enhancement with venous washout. However, when typical hemodynamic patterns are not observed in hypervascular nodules, functional images such as hepatocyte images of EOB-MRI or Kupffer phase images from Sonazoid-enhanced contrast US play very important roles in formulating differential diagnoses of liver tumors including HCC. When hepatocyte images of EOB-MRI or Kupffer phase images from Sonazoid-enhanced contrast US show decreased uptake within the nodule, malignancy, including early HCC, is highly suggested. In contrast, when hepatocyte images of EOB-MRI or Kupffer phase images from Sonazoid-enhanced contrast US indicate positive uptake, CTHA／CTAP or diagnosis through biopsy is still necessary to determine treatment strategy. |