TY - JOUR
T1 - Imaging diagnosis
AU - Lencioni, Riccardo
AU - Cioni, Dania
AU - Della Pina, Clotilde
AU - Crocetti, Laura
AU - Bartolozzi, Carlo
PY - 2005/5/1
Y1 - 2005/5/1
N2 - The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is based on imaging examinations in combination with clinical and laboratory findings. Despite technological advances, imaging cirrhotic patients remains a challenging issue because nonmalignant hepatocellular lesions, such as dysplastic nodules, mimic a small HCC. One of the key pathologic factors for differential diagnosis that is reflected in imaging appearances is the vascular supply to the lesion. It is accepted that imaging techniques may establish the diagnosis of HCC in nodules larger than 2 cm showing characteristic arterial hypervascularization. In lesions ranging from 1 to 2 cm, biopsy is still recommended, although a negative response can never be used to rule out malignancy completely. Although ultrasonography is widely accepted for HCC surveillance, spiral computed tomography (CT) or dynamic magnetic resonance imaging is required for diagnostic confirmation and intrahepatic tumor staging. These examinations have replaced invasive procedures, such as lipiodol CT, but remain relatively insensitive for the detection of tiny HCC lesions and tumor vascular invasion into peripheral portal vein branches.
AB - The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is based on imaging examinations in combination with clinical and laboratory findings. Despite technological advances, imaging cirrhotic patients remains a challenging issue because nonmalignant hepatocellular lesions, such as dysplastic nodules, mimic a small HCC. One of the key pathologic factors for differential diagnosis that is reflected in imaging appearances is the vascular supply to the lesion. It is accepted that imaging techniques may establish the diagnosis of HCC in nodules larger than 2 cm showing characteristic arterial hypervascularization. In lesions ranging from 1 to 2 cm, biopsy is still recommended, although a negative response can never be used to rule out malignancy completely. Although ultrasonography is widely accepted for HCC surveillance, spiral computed tomography (CT) or dynamic magnetic resonance imaging is required for diagnostic confirmation and intrahepatic tumor staging. These examinations have replaced invasive procedures, such as lipiodol CT, but remain relatively insensitive for the detection of tiny HCC lesions and tumor vascular invasion into peripheral portal vein branches.
KW - Computed tomography
KW - Magnetic resonance imaging
KW - Percutaneous biopsy
KW - Ultrasonography
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U2 - 10.1055/s-2005-871196
DO - 10.1055/s-2005-871196
M3 - Review article
C2 - 15918145
AN - SCOPUS:20344383741
VL - 25
SP - 162
EP - 170
JO - Seminars in Liver Disease
JF - Seminars in Liver Disease
SN - 0272-8087
IS - 2
ER -