Kyung Ah Kim MD, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Myeong-Jin Kim MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ki Whang Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jin-Young Choi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Joon Seok Lim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Hye-Suk Hong MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

To assess the efficacy of sonographic surveillance of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in liver cirrhosis patients.

Between January 2003 and January 2008, 2578 patients with liver cirrhosis were admitted to our institution for the management of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among them, we retrieved 100 patients who had shown no focal liver lesion on a sonographic examination performed within one year prior to the diagnostic examination either sonography (n= 50) or CT scan (n = 50). The size and T stage of HCC at the time of the diagnosis were analyzed for these patients. We also recorded whether the patients meet the Milan criteria or UCSF criteria as identifying candidates with good prognoses and low recurrence rates after liver transplantation is approached. B virus (n=67) was the most common etiology in patients with liver cirrhosis and HCC.

Mean interval between negative US and diagnostic US or CT was 5 months and 13 days. The HCC presented as a single nodule ranged from 0.8 cm to 8.0 cm in 69 patients (n = 3 for size ≤ 1 cm, n = 22 for 1 - 2 cm, n = 23 for 2 - 3 cm, n = 16 for 3 - 5 cm, n = 5 for > 5 cm), as two or more nodules in 18 patients, and as diffuse form in 13 patients. T stages of HCC were 26 (26%) for T1, 41 (41%) for T2, 3 (3%) for T3, and 30 (30%) for T4. Milan criteria was satisfied in 79 patients among 100 patients (n = 64 for size of single tumor <5 cm, n = 15 for 3 or fewer lesions with the largest being < 3cm in size) and 85 patients fulfilled UCSF criteria (n = 67 for single tumor ≤ 6.5 cm, n = 18 for 3 tumors with the largest being ≤4.5 cm in diameter and a total tumor burden of ≤ 8 cm).

Sonographic surveillance with one year interval seems not effective for identification of HCC at treatable status in the endemic area of B-viral hepatitis.

This report could help to redefine the efficacy of sonographic surveillance to identify HCC at treatable status in liver cirrhosis in the endemic area of B-viral hepatitis.

Kim, K, Kim, M, Kim, K, Choi, J, Lim, J, Hong, H, Efficacy of Ultrasound Surveillance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Liver Cirrhosis Patients.  Radiological Society of North America 2008 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, February 18 - February 20, 2008 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2008/6019877.html