Clinical advantages of focal liver lesions characterizazion
Carla Serra, Bologna / Italy
Nowadays, when a patient has abdominal symptoms or alterations of laboratory tests, ultrasound is performed because it is inexpensive and available. Focal liver lesions are usually detected incidentally during abdominal ultrasound, in case of first evaluation or during the follow-up for a primary neoplasm, or during surveillance in chronic liver diseases and cirrhosis. CEUS improves the characterization of focal liver lesions that are indeterminate on conventional ultrasound. The use of CEUS is recommended and suggested as a second diagnostic step after ultrasound detection of indeterminate focal liver lesions to immediately establish the diagnosis, representing a cost-effective modality avoiding further and more expensive examinations.