The purpose of this study is to evaluate hemodynamic characteristics of various hepatic
tumors using color Doppler echography administered
galactose-based intravenous contrast medium "SH/TA 508 (
Levovist)". Subject were 9 cases of
hepatocellular carcinomas, 5 cases of metastatic liver
tumors and a case of
hemangioma. We evaluated the characteristics of blood flows inside various hepatic
tumors, and also evaluated the first pass through the hepatic
tumors during administration of
Levovist. The strongly pulsatile branched blood flows inside
tumor and the slow-increased and plateau patterns were observed in the all cases of
hepatocellular carcinomas, the weakly pulsatile blood flows surrounding
tumor and the rapid-increased and slow-decreased patterns were observed in the cases of metastatic liver
tumors, and the continuous blood streams in the margin of
tumor and the slow-increased and slow-decreased pattern were observed in the case of
hemangioma. These findings were characteristic in various hepatic
tumors, and color Doppler echography enhanced by
Levovist was very useful to distinguish hepatic
tumors.