Diagnostic value of sonazoid for hepatic metastasis: comparison with FDG PET/CT.

Background/Aims: This study was conducted to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of contrast enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) with perflubutane (Sonazoid) for hepatic metastasis and compared it with that of 18-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) computed tomography (CT). Methodology: From January 2007 to July 2009, 109 Japanese patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer were enrolled, of whom 4 had esophageal cancer, 28 gastric cancer, 1 duodenal cancer, and 76 colorectal cancer. After a bolus injection with Sonazoid (0.5ml/body), the liver was scanned in both arterial and Kupffer phases. The results of PET/CT and other abdominal imaging examinations were not shown to the CEUS operators. We compared diagnostic efficacy between CEUS and PET/CT. Results: Average values for age, body mass index, and maximum diameter of the hepatic metastasis were 68.7±11.0 years, 21.2±4.2, and 29.2±20.5mm, respectively. Hepatic metastasis were suspected in 31 patients based on PET/CT findings and 32 by CEUS. Finally, hepatic metastasis was diagnosed in 30 patients. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy rates for CEUS and PET/CT were similar (100% vs. 100%, 97.5% vs. 98.7%, and 95.5% vs. 93.6%, respectively). Conclusion: CEUS had a diagnostic value similar to that of PET/CT for hepatic metastasis.