Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is strongly associated with cirrhosis, from both alcohol and viral etiologies.

What is HCC in CT scan?

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary malignancy of the liver. It is strongly associated with cirrhosis, from both alcohol and viral etiologies.

What imaging tests are used to diagnose HCC?

Dynamic and multiphase contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are the standard diagnostic tests for HCC.

What is a triphasic CT scan?

Triphasic spiral liver Computed Tomography (CT) is. a standardized procedure for the detection and. characterization of a large variety of benign and malignant. liver lesions. This helps in the decline of mortality and.

What does HCC look like on ultrasound?

Hepatocellular carcinoma does not have a characteristic appearance at US. The lesions are typically hypoechoic, but they can be hyperechoic or have mixed echogenicity. The majority of nodules that measure less than 1 cm are not hepatocellular carcinoma (8).

When should you suspect HCC?

AFP >400–500 ng/ml is considered diagnostic for HCC, although fewer than half of patients may generate levels that high 39. With values of that magnitude, the specificity of AFP is close to 100% but at a cost to the sensitivity which falls below 45% 40.

Who HCC criteria?

The major features suggestive of HCC include nonrim APHE, nonperipheral portal venous or delayed phase washout, enhancing capsule appearance, size of at least 1 cm, and threshold growth by ≥50% in ≤6 months.

How does HCC look on MRI?

Gadolinium-enhanced MRI typically demonstrates that HCCs densely enhance, usually in the arterial phase, particularly if they are small. A lesion showing arterial enhancement is most likely HCC; however, dysplastic nodules and, less likely, regenerative nodules can show similar enhancement.

When is HCC diagnosed?

AFP >400–500 ng/ml is considered diagnostic for HCC, although fewer than half of patients may generate levels that high 39.

Is triphasic CT with contrast?

Clinically, triphasic dynamic contrast-enhanced CT scans are often used to examine the vital organs of the abdomen, such as the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.

Does a triple phase CT use contrast?

Triple arterial phase imaging provides equivalent to superior image quality and equal HCC detection rate despite the use of less than half the contrast material dose used at standard single arterial phase CT.

Can HCC be misdiagnosed?

Although diagnostic accuracy of imaging technique for HCC has been improved, misdiagnosis is encountered not uncommonly in real clinical practice. Both false positive diagnosis and false negative diagnosis cause serious problem of patient-doctor relationship.

How do you stage hepatocellular carcinoma?

Based on these variables, patients are classified into three stages (I: not advanced; II: moderately advanced; III: very advanced) with different outcomes [Table 2]. Okuda staging system was accepted and widely used as an improved classification system for HCC.

Is imaging necessary for diagnosing hepatocellular carcinoma?

This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common primary liver cancer. Imaging is important for establishing a diagnosis of HCC.

What do we know about hepatocellular carcinoma?

imaging play critical roles in the diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The first article of this two-part review discusses key concepts of HCC develop- ment, growth, and spread, emphasizing those features with imaging correlates and hence most relevant to radi- ologists; state-of-the-art CT and MR imaging technique

Does hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) show up on MRI?

and MR imaging have limited sensitivity for the detection of early HCCs, but hep – atobiliary phase MR imaging shows promise for this purpose. Progressed HCCs Progressed HCCs are overtly malignant lesions with the ability to invade vessels and metastasize. Macroscopic and his- tologic features are variable, depending in part on lesion size.

Can MR imaging help in the diagnosis of hepatobiliary cancers?

n Hepatobiliary phase MR imaging shows promise for characteriza- tion of precursor lesions and for identifying high-grade dysplastic nodules and early HCCs prior to neoarterialization and progres- sion to overt HCC. STATE OF THE ART: CT and MR Diagnosis and Staging of HCC Choi et al