Contribution of contrast-enhanced sonography in the detection of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma

Joint Segmentation and Differential Diagnosis of Thyroid Nodule in Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Images

OBJECTIVE

Microvascular perfusion can be observed in real time with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), which is a novel ultrasound technology for visualizing the dynamic patterns of parenchymal perfusion. Automatic lesion segmentation and differential diagnosis of malignant and benign based on CEUS are crucial but challenging tasks for computer-aided diagnosis of thyroid nodule.

METHODS

To tackle these two formidable challenges concurrently, we provide Trans-CEUS, a spatial-temporal transformer-based CEUS analysis model to finish the joint learning of these two challenging tasks. Specifically, the dynamic swin-transformer encoder and multi-level feature collaborative learning are combined into U-net for achieving accurate segmentation of lesions with ambiguous boundary from CEUS. In addition, variant transformer-based global spatial-temporal fusion is proposed to obtain long-distance enhancement perfusion of dynamic CEUS for promoting differential diagnosis.

RESULTS

Empirical results of clinical data showed that our Trans-CEUS model achieved not only a good lesion segmentation result with a high Dice similarity coefficient of 82.41%, but also superior diagnostic accuracy of 86.59%. Conclusion & significance: This research is novel since it is the first to incorporate the transformer into CEUS analysis, and it shows promising results on dynamic CEUS datasets for both segmentation and diagnosis tasks of the thyroid nodule.

Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: pathogenesis, current staging, and radiological findings

To this date, it is a major oncological challenge to optimally diagnose, stage, and manage intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). Imaging can not only diagnose and stage ICC, but it can also guide management. Hence, imaging is indispensable in the management of ICC. In this article, we review the pathology, epidemiology, genetics, clinical presentation, staging, pathology, radiology, and treatment of ICC.

Practical advantages of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in abdominopelvic radiology

Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are two of the workhorse modalities of abdominopelvic radiology. However, these modalities are not without patient- and technique-specific limitations that may prevent a timely and accurate diagnosis. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is an effective, rapid, and cost-effective imaging modality with expanding clinical utility in the United States. In this pictorial essay, we provide a case-based discussion demonstrating the practical advantages of CEUS in evaluating a variety of pathologies in which CT or MRI was precluded or insufficient. Through these advantages, CEUS can serve a complementary role with CT and MRI in comprehensive abdominopelvic radiology.

Diagnosis and Management of Intrahepatic and Extrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma

Cholangiocarcinomas (CC) are rare tumors which usually present late and are often difficult to diagnose and treat. CCs are categorized as intrahepatic, hilar, or extrahepatic. Epidemiologic studies suggest that the incidence of intrahepatic CCs may be increasing worldwide. In this chapter, we review the risk factors, clinical presentation, and management of cholangiocarcinoma.

Effect of contrast-enhanced ultrasound on differential diagnosis of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma and arterial phase enhanced hepatic inflammatory lesions

OBJECTIVE

To investigate differential diagnosis between intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) and arterial phase enhanced hepatic inflammatory lesions in patients without liver cirrhosis using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

METHODS

ICC and hepatic inflammatory lesions cases with CEUS and pathological diagnosis between Sep 2013 and Oct 2016 were investigated retrospectively. Imaging features of conventional ultrasound and CEUS were analyzed. The parameters of time intensity curve (TIC), including the arrival time, peak intensity (PI) in the lesions, the starting time for washout, and the intensity difference at 3 min (ΔI3) after contrast agent infection between the lesion and the liver parenchyma, were compared between ICC and hepatic inflammatory lesions.

RESULTS

Twenty-five ICC and fifteen inflammatory patients were included in this study. Seventeen ICC (68.0%) and two inflammatory cases (13.3%) showed bile duct dilatation on conventional ultrasound. Using CEUS, three ICC cases (12.0%) were misdiagnosed as inflammatory lesions and three inflammatory lesions (20.0%) as ICC; two ICC (8.0%) and one inflammatory case (6.7%) could not be made definite diagnosis. Washout started at 34.5±3.5 s and 61.5±12.9 s for ICC and inflammatory lesions respectively (P<0.001). The intensity difference between lesion and liver parenchyma at 3 min after contrast agent injection was 10.8±3.1 dB in ICC and 4.2±2.3 dB in inflammatory group (P<0.001). The sensitivity and specificity differentiating ICC and inflammatory lesions were 76% and 87% if the cut-off value of the intensity difference was 7.7 dB.

CONCLUSIONS

Combined with TIC analysis, and particularly with the characteristic of the early-starting and obvious washout in ICC, CEUS can be useful in differential diagnosis between hepatic inflammatory lesions and ICC.

Differential diagnosis of gastric cancer and gastritis: the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in differential diagnosis of gastric cancer and gastritis, with histological results as reference standard.

METHODS

From September 2011 to August 2014, 82 patients (50 males and 32 females; mean age ± SD, 59.5 ± 15.0 years; range 19-91 years) with gastric cancer or gastritis were included in this Ethics Committee-approved prospective study. Conventional ultrasonography (US) and CEUS were applied to distinguish the two lesions, and both qualitative and quantitative features were evaluated.

RESULTS

Of the 82 histopathologic-proven lesions, 58 were cancer and 24 were gastritis. For US, the gastric wall stratification was not preserved in about one-third of cancer (21/58, 36.2%) compared with gastritis (0/24, 0%) (p < 0.001). Blurred, angular, or spiculated serosa margin and increased echogenicity in perigastric fat appeared only in cancer (10/58, 17.2%), and all of them proved to be pathologic T3 or T4 stage. On CEUS, gastric cancer usually manifested as diffused enhancement without comb-teeth-like vessels (parallel curvilinear structures representing arterial branching within the gastric wall) (56/58, 96.6%), while these vessels presented in most gastritis (19/24, 79.2%, p < 0.001). For quantitative analysis, the malignant lesions showed later and lower enhancement (p < 0.001), and they also had slower speed to reach the peak intensity (p < 0.001). On CEUS, the absence of comb-teeth-like vessel is most reliable for diagnosing malignancy, and the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 96.5%, 79.2%, and 91.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

Our results demonstrated the usefulness and accuracy of US and CEUS in differential diagnosis of gastric cancer and gastritis. CEUS has the potential to make the diagnosis more accurate.

Update on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Cholangiocarcinoma

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare biliary adenocarcinoma associated with poor outcomes. Cholangiocarcinoma is subdivided into extrahepatic and intrahepatic variants. Intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma is then further differentiated into (1) peripheral mass-forming tumors and (2) central periductal infiltrating tumors. We aimed to review the currently known risk factors, diagnostic tools, and treatment options, as well as highlight the need for further clinical trials and research to improve overall survival rates.

RECENT FINDINGS

Cholangiocarcinoma has seen significant increase in incidence rates over the last several decades. Most patients do not carry the documented risk factors, which include infections and inflammatory conditions, but cholangiocarcinoma typically forms in the setting of cholestasis and chronic inflammation. Management strategies include multispecialty treatments, with consideration of surgical resection, systemic chemotherapy, and targeted radiation therapy. Surgically resectable disease is the only curable treatment option, which may involve liver transplantation in certain selected cases. Referrals to centers of excellence, along with enrollment in novel clinical trials are recommended for patients with unresectable or recurrent disease. This article provides an overview of cholangiocarcinoma and discusses the current diagnosis and treatment options. While incidence is increasing and more risk factors are being discovered, much more work remains to improve outcomes of this ominous disease.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma: Controversy over the ASSLD Guideline

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) are both regarded as primary liver cancers, having different biological behaviors and prognoses. Correct differentiation between them is essential for surgical planning and prognosis assessment. In 2005, the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) recommended that noninvasive diagnosis of HCC is achievable by a single dynamic technique (including contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)) showing intense arterial uptake followed by washout of contrast in the venous-delayed phases. However, CEUS has been dropped from the diagnostic techniques in the latest AASLD guideline according to the opinion of some authors from Europe that CEUS may offer false positive HCC diagnosis in patients with ICC. Since the update of AASLD guideline has been released, increased attention has been paid to this interesting topic. Remarkable controversy over this issue is present and this removal was not well received in Europe and Asia. This commentary summarized the opinions for the role of CUES in differentiation between HCC and ICC in recent years. It is concluded that prospective studies with strict design and large case series are mandatory to solve the controversies and stratification of ICC in terms of tumor size and liver background is also essential.

Diagnosis and management of intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma: a comprehensive update for the radiologist

There is increasing focus on intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (IHCC) due to its rising incidence worldwide and relatively poor prognosis, with the revised TNM classification (2009) introducing a separate staging system for IHCC for the first time. In this article, we comprehensively review the current role of the radiologist in the diagnosis and management of patients with IHCC.