Local ablation procedures in primary liver tumors: Levovist US versus spiral CTto evaluate therapeutic results.

Abstract

BACKGROUND:

The objective of this study was to compare Levovist power Doppler ultrasound (Levovist US) with contrast-enhanced spiral computed tomography (spiral CT), in the evaluation of the efficacy of percutaneous local ablation procedures, in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

MATERIALS AND METHODS:

Forty-six patients with 62 HCC were studied using Levovist US and triphasic spiral CT, after treatment by radiofrequency ablation (RFA) (32), percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) (24), transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) (4), laser-therapy (LT) (1) and RFA plus TACE (1).

RESULTS:

Spiral CT scan showed contrast enhancement in 47% of the cases; at basal power Doppler ultrasound only 10% of the nodules showed to be vascular but, after Levovist infusion, 72.5% showed intralesional vascular spots.

CONCLUSION:

We detected that residual tumor vascularity in HCC, after treatment using percutaneous local ablation procedures, was significantly increased by Levovist. Levovist US could be proposed as a good alternative in patients unfit for CT scanning due to allergies to iodate contrast media, renal failure or cardiovascular disease and, moreover, could help to select those patients requiring a new treatment, without performing spiral CT, thereby reducing the cost of treatment and improving patient tolerance.

• Authors: Paolo Vallone, Adolfo Gallipoli, Francesco Izzo, Francesco Fiore, Paolo Delrio
• Journal: Anticancer research (Anticancer Res) 2003 Nov-Dec Vol. 23 Issue 6D Pg. 5075-9 ISSN: 0250-7005 [Print] Greece
• PMID: 14981969 (Publication Type: Clinical Trial, Journal Article)

Chemical References

• Contrast Media
• Polysaccharides
• SHU 508
• Ethanol

Topics

• Adult
• Aged
• Aged, 80 and over
• Carcinoma, Hepatocellular (diagnostic imaging, surgery)
• Catheter Ablation (methods)
• Chemoembolization, Therapeutic (methods)
• Contrast Media
• Ethanol (administration & dosage)
• Female
• Humans
• Laser Therapy
• Liver Neoplasms (diagnostic imaging, surgery, therapy)
• Male
• Middle Aged
• Polysaccharides
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• Ultrasonography