Small hepatocellular carcinoma: detection with sonography, computed tomography (CT), angiography and Lipiodol-CT

Abstract

Seventy-three small hepatocellular carcinomas under 5 cm in diameter in 47 patients were examined by sonography, computed tomography (CT), hepatic angiography and CT after intra-arterial injection of iodized poppy-seed oil (Lipiodol-CT). The imaging techniques that first led to detection of small hepatocellular carcinomas were sonography in 53 cases (72.6%), CT in 10 (13.7%), angiography in eight (11%) and Lipiodol-CT in two (2.7%). Sensitivity for detecting small hepatocellular carcinomas was 73% with sonography, 82% with CT, 86% with angiography and 96% with Lipiodol-CT. As a screening method, sonographic and CT results in detecting small hepatocellular carcinomas were not significantly different (p>0.05). Lipiodol-CT was superior to sonography (ppp<0.05) in detecting small hepatocellular carcinomas. We believe that the combined use of Lipiodol-CT with screening methods such as sonography or CT is indispensable for the accurate detection of small hepatocellular carcinomas.