ObjectiveTo investigate the value of ultrasound contrast in the differential diagnosis for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH). MethodsTwenty-three HCC patients and 23 cases hepatic FNH patients from January 1, 2012 to January 1, 2014 in our hospital were selected, all of them were underwent ultrasound contrast examination before operation. The ultrasound contrast results of 2 groups patients were comparative analyzed. ResultsIn HCC group, the contrast arrival time was (3.8±1.9) s, peak time was (21.8±11.9) s, and peak strength was (28.8 ±3.1) dB; in hepatic FNH group, these indicators was (2.3±1.4) s, (35.3±14.8) s, and (22.3±7.9) dB, respectively. These indicators of HCC group was longer or shorter or higher than those of hepatic FNH group, respectively (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasound contrast diagnosed HCC was 91.3% (21/23), 87.0% (20/23), and 95.7% (22/23), and diagnosed hepatic FHN was 87.0% (20/23), 91.3% (21/23), and 91.3% (21/23), respectively, the difference were not statistically significant between the two groups (P > 0.05). ConclusionUltrasound contrast has very important application value in the differential diagnosis of HCC and hepatic FNH, can be used in clinical application.
Correlation between nonlinear subharmonic scattering of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles and ambient pressure is expected to be used for local brain tissue pressure monitoring. Although high-frequency ultrasound has achieved high-resolution imaging of intracranial microvessels, the research on high-frequency subharmonic scattering characteristics of microbubbles is insufficient at present, which restricts the research progress of estimating local brain tissue pressure based on high-frequency subharmonic scattering of microbubbles. Therefore, under the excitation of 10 MHz high-frequency ultrasound, the effects of different acoustic pressures and ambient pressures on the high-frequency subharmonic scattering characteristics of three different ultrasound contrast agents including SonoVue, Sonazoid and Huashengxian were investigated in this in vitro study. Results showed that the subharmonic scattering amplitudes of the three microbubbles increased with the increase of ambient pressure at the peak negative acoustic pressures of 696, 766 and 817 kPa, and there was a favorable linear correlation between subharmonic amplitude and ambient pressure. Under the above three acoustic pressures, the highest correlation coefficient of SonoVue was 0.948 (P = 0.03), the highest sensitivity of pressure measurement was 0.248 dB/mm Hg and the minimum root mean square error (RMSE) was 2.64 mm Hg. Sonazoid's highest correlation coefficient was 0.982 (P < 0.01), the highest sensitivity of pressure measurement was 0.052 dB/mm Hg and the minimum RMSE was 1.51 mm Hg. The highest correlation coefficient of Huashengxian was 0.969 (P = 0.02), the highest sensitivity of pressure measurement was 0.098 dB/mm Hg and the minimum RMSE was 2.00 mm Hg. The above in vitro experimental results indicate that by selecting ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles and optimizing acoustic pressure, the correlation between high-frequency subharmonic scattering of microbubbles and ambient pressure can be improved, the sensitivity of pressure measurement can be upgraded, and the measurement error can be reduced to meet the clinical demand for local brain tissue pressure measurement, which provided an important experimental basis for subsequent research in vivo.