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Liver Tumors: Utility of Characterization at Dual-Frequency US¹

¹ From the Departments of Radiology (G.S.) and Surgical Pathology (L.T.), Stanford University Medical Center, 300 Pasteur Dr, Rm H-1307, Stanford, CA 94305-5621, and the Department of Radiology, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Care System, Calif (E.W.O.). Received May 22, 1998; revision requested July 14; revision received October 14; accepted December 16. Address reprint requests to G.S.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the potential utility of a technique for analysis of ultrasonographic (US) images obtained at two center frequencies in a phantom model and in a clinical study of liver tumors.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: A US phantom was built that contained target regions with polystyrene scatterers both smaller and larger than scatterers in the background material. High- and low-frequency US images of target regions were obtained, and changes in the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR) of the targets relative to the background were determined. In a clinical evaluation, 12 hemangiomas, 13 liver metastases, one adenoma, and two hepatomas were evaluated in a similar manner, and the results were correlated with the histologic findings in resected lesions.

RESULTS: For targets containing scatterers smaller than those in the background, there was an increase in CNR of higher frequency images. The converse was true for target regions having scatterers larger than those in the background. Liver metastases generally showed an increase in CNR of higher frequency images, whereas hemangiomas generally showed somewhat decreased CNR of higher frequency images, differing significantly from metastases (P < .01–.001).

CONCLUSION: Changes in CNRs of relatively high- and low-frequency US images may give useful information on the frequency dependence of backscattering, which is descriptive of the histologic findings in lesions and which is not evident with conventional US images.

Index terms: Angioma, gastrointestinal tract, 761.12989, 761.3194 • Liver neoplasms, US, 761.12989, 761.3192, 761.3194, 761.33 • Ultrasound (US), experimental studies, 761.12989 • Ultrasound (US), tissue characterization, 761.12989

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