@article {207570, title = {Is Doppler/Dopplex ultrasonography reliable in the assessment of percutaneous ablative therapies of hepatocellular carcinoma: a prospective cross-sectional study.}, journal = {European journal of gastroenterology \& hepatology}, year = {2021}, abstract = {

INTRODUCTION: After hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) interventional therapies, noninvasive vascular diagnostic imaging [duplex, Color/power Doppler ultrasonography, and triphasic computed tomography (CT)] determines the lesion complete/incomplete ablation. The aim was to analyze the usefulness of duplex, color/power Doppler ultrasonography in HCC ablation after percutaneous ablative therapies (PATs).

METHODS: We included 30 patients with 33 HCCs subjected to duplex/Doppler ultrasonography, ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and triphasic CT, all these before and after PATs.

RESULTS: One week after treatment ended, out of 21 lesions with pretreatment positive color-Doppler, signals disappeared in 19 (90.5\%) lesions. Out of 29 lesions with pretreatment positive power-Doppler, signals disappeared in 24 (82.8\%). Out of 13 lesions with pretreatment intralesional power/duplex arterial signals, signals disappeared in eight (61.5\%). There was a significant correlation (P \< 0.05) between power-Doppler arterial signals and FNAC. Before HCC ablation, power-Doppler demonstrated a sensitivity 40\% and specificity 96\% in HCC detection in relation to FNAC, it had a sensitivity 60\% and specificity 85\% in HCC detection compared to triphasic CT. After HCC ablation, power-Doppler had a sensitivity and specificity of 100\% in viable malignancy detection in relation to FNAC. Power-Doppler had a sensitivity 89\% and specificity 93\% in residual malignancy detection in relation to triphasic CT.

CONCLUSION: Power-Doppler is a good positive test as intralesional arterial signals in a cirrhotic liver lesion is highly suggestive of HCC. Power-Doppler was sensitive in HCC ablation assessment in pretreatment positive cases only. Both triphasic CT and duplex/Doppler are complementary and the use of different diagnostic modalities after ablation is mandatory.

}, author = {Samar Kamal Darweesh and El-Kady, Nabeel M. and Hanan Abdel-Haleem and AYMAN R. AMER and Maher, Rabab M} }