The Preliminary Application of Simultaneous Display of Contrast‐Enhanced Ultrasound and Micro‐Flow Imaging Technology in the Diagnosis of Hepatic Tumors

Objectives To evaluate the value of simultaneous display of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound and micro‐flow imaging technology (CEUS‐MFI) in intra‐tumoral vessel detection and hepatic tumor diagnosis. Methods A total of 82 patients with 82 focal liver lesions were enrolled in this study. Each patient received ultrasound exams including color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), micro‐flow imaging (MFI), contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and CEUS‐MFI with a Philips EPIQ7 ultrasound imaging system. The intra‐tumoral vessels detected by CDFI, MFI, and CEUS‐MFI were compared, respectively. The accuracy and confidence of using CEUS and CEUS‐MFI in diagnosing hepatic tumors were also compared. Results CEUS‐MFI was capable of detecting more hepatic intra‐tumoral vessels than MFI ( P = .000) and CDFI ( P = .000). Compared with CEUS, CEUS‐MFI improved the diagnostic accuracy of hepatic lesions ( P = .009). Particularly, among the correctly diagnosed hepatic lesions, the number of cases where radiologists diagnosed with great confidence was increased from 88.4% (61/69) with CEUS only to 92.4% (73/79) with CEUS‐MFI ( P = .041). Conclusions CEUS‐MFI is sensitive in detecting hepatic intra‐tumoral vessels and can improve the accuracy and confidence of radiologists in diagnosing hepatic lesions.