Abstract
In five dogs with heptocellular carcinoma (HCC), contrast-enhanced ultrasonography was performed using Sonazoid®. All tumors were surgically removed and examined histopathologically, including the grade of tumor diffentiation and vascularity. The necrotic lesions, if any, were checked, and the contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic findings and the histopathologic findings were compared. Consequently, peripheral- and intra-tumoral blood vessels were clearly observed in four cases during the arterial phase. Poorly- or moderately-differentiated HCC (Cases 1 and 2) showed hypo-enhancement in the portal phase, but were hypo-echoic in the surrounding normal liver, that is, the parenchymal phase. On the other hand, well-differentiated HCC (Cases 3, 4, and 5) showed iso-enhancement or hyper-enhancement during the portal phase, but were iso-echoic in the parenchymal phase. A mosaic pattern containing both hyper- and hypo-enhancement lesions during the vascular phase (Cases 1, 2, and 5) was consistent with necrotic lesions detected histopathologically, but no necrotic lesions were observed in Case 3 or 4, which showed a uniform enhancement pattern. In conclusion, contrast ultrasonography using Sonazoid® may reflect pathological findings such as tumor differentiation, vascularity, and necrotic lesions in canine HCC, just as in human HCC.
