Hepatic malignancies: Correlation between sonographic findings and pathological features

Figure 1 Changes in intranodular blood supply with the progression of hepatocarcinogenesis from dysplastic nodule to hepatocellular carcinoma. RN: Regenerative nodule; DN: Dysplastic nodule; HCC: Hepatocellular carcinoma.

Figure 2 Macroscopic configurations of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Figure 3 Advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. A: The nodule had a halo image and mosaic pattern in segment 8 of the liver on B-mode ultrasonography; B: Power Doppler imaging showed hypervascularity of the tumor; C: Color Doppler imaging showed intratumoral blood flow. Arterial pulsatile waveforms could be detected by pulsed Doppler images; D: The image of a simple nodular type with extranodular growth (arrow) was obtained on B-mode ultrasonography (US); E: Contrast harmonic US showed enhancement of hepatocellular carcinoma in early vascular phase after administration of perfluorocarbon microbubbles; F: Contrast harmonic US depicted the defect image in the post-vascular phase.

Figure 4 Early hepatocellular carcinoma. A: A nodule that was 1.5 cm in diameter in segment 5 of the liver was shown as highly echoic because of fatty changes in the nodule; B: A nodule-in-nodule appearance (arrow) was demonstrated as a hyperechoic tumor within a hypoechoic nodule.

Figure 5 Liver metastasis. A: Multiple masses were seen in the liver by B-mode ultrasonography (US); B: Multiple defects were seen by Sonazoid-enhanced US in the post-vascular phase; C: Portal phase dynamic scan detected a hypoenhanced nodule in segment 6 of the liver; D: Peripheral enhancement of the nodule (arrows) was obtained by Sonazoid-enhanced ultrasonography in the early vascular phase.

Figure 6 Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (mass-forming type). B-mode ultrasonography showed mixed echogenicity with irregular borders (arrows) in the left lateral lobe. The intrahepatic bile duct peripheral to the tumor was dilated (arrowheads).