Diagnostic sensitivity of imaging modalities for hepatocellular carcinoma smaller than 2 cm

Table 1 Data and characteristics of 29 patients and 34 nodules

Age (yr), range (mean ± SD)	55-84 (70.5 ± 7.96) IQR 67-76
Sex (M/F)	13/16
Cause
HBV	1
HCV	24
Alcohol	4
AFP (ng/mL)
< 20	21
> 21	8
Nodule characteristics (mm), range (mean ± SD)	8-20 (12.7 ± 3.71) IQR 10-15
Histological diagnosis of the 34 nodules
Moderately-differentiated HCC	24
Well-differentiated HCC	10

IQR: Interquartile range; HBV: Hepatitis B virus; HCV: Hepatitis C virus; AFP: α-fetoprotein; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Table 2 Imaging patterns for the conclusive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma by the four modalities

Modality	Imaging pattern
Contrast-enhanced CT	Hypervascularity in the arterial phase and washout in the equilibrium phase
Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasonography	Hypervascularity in the early vascular phase and defect in the Kupffer phase
Gd-EOB-DTPA magnetic resonance imaging	Hypervascularity in the arterial phase and/or defect in the hepatobiliary phase
CT arterioportal angiography	Hypervascularity by CTA and/or perfusion defect by CTAP

CT: Computed tomography; CTA: CT during arteriography; CTAP: CT during arterial portography; Gd-EOB-DTPA: Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid.

Table 3 Diagnostic sensitivity of hepatocellular carcinoma by the four modalities

Modality	Diagnostic sensitivity
	All nodules (n = 34)		Moderately-differentiated HCC (n = 24)
	n (%)	95% CI	n (%)	95% CI
Contrast-enhanced computed tomography	18 (52.9)	35.1-70.2	15 (62.5)	40.6-81.2
Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasonography	23 (67.6)	49.5-82.6	19 (79.2)	57.8-92.9
Gd-EOB-DTPA magnetic resonance imaging	26 (76.5)	58.8-89.3	18 (75.04)	53.3-90.2
Computed tomography arterioportal angiography	30 (88.2)	72.5-96.7	23 (95.8)	78.9-99.9

Gd-EOB-DTPA: Gadolinium-ethoxybenzyl-diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.