1) Relevance of incidental benign liver lesions in routine clinical practice. 2) Value of intra-operative Contrast-enhanced US (IO-CEUS) during liver resection. 3) Protocols for intra-operative Contrast-enhanced US (IO-CEUS) versus percutaneous Contrast-enhanced US (CEUS). 4) CEUS features and an algorithm in making a diagnosis of benign liver lesions. 5) Cost-Effectiveness of Contrast-enhanced US in managing incidental liver lesions.
Incidental small benign focal liver lesions are more prevalent than anticipated in current clinical practice and its accurate diagnosis significantly impacts upon the management of cancer patients as well as the otherwise healthy subjects, generating additional referals for more expensive cross-sectional imaging modalities or biopsies. There has been major technological advances in contrast enhanced ultrasound over the last decade and the modality has matured to a stage where it is routinely used clinically throughout Europe; it is indeed the modality of choice in the characterisation of these incidental and/or indeterminate lesions, matching and even surpassing contrast enhanced MRI. CEUS imaging features of various benign tumour types will discussed in depth and a simple algorithm for making its diagnosis will be illustrated. The evidence to support the use of CEUS percutaneously and intra-operatively and future developments to simplify focal liver lesions characterisation will be described.
Leen, E,
Benign Liver Tumors and Intraoperative Contrast-enhanced US of Liver Tumors. Radiological Society of North America 2010 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2010 ,Chicago IL.
http://archive.rsna.org/2010/9000169.html
