Table 3.
Summary of contrast-enhanced ultrasound findings of common focal liver lesions[72]
| Arterial | Portal | Late vascular phase | Parenchymal phase | |
| Malignant focal liver lesions | ||||
| Hepatocellular carcinoma | Hyperechoic | Isoechoic | Hypo- or isoechoic (30%) | Hypoechoic |
| Metastases | Hypo- or hyperechoic (hypervascular) | Hypoechoic with or without rim enhancement | Hypoechoic | Hypoechoic |
| Cholangiocarcinoma | Hypo- or hyperechoic (15%) | Iso- or hypoechoic | Hypoechoic | Hypoechoic |
| Benign focal liver lesions | ||||
| Regenerating nodules | Iso- or hypoechoic | Isoechoic | Isoechoic | Isoechoic |
| Dysplastic nodules | Hyper, iso- or hypoechoic | Isoechoic | Hypo- or isoechoic | Hypo- or isoechoic |
| Hemangiomas | Hyperechoic (peripheral nodular enhancement) | Centripetal filling | Isoechoic if filling is complete (intralesional hypoechoic areas in 50%) | Isoechoic (intralesional hypo-echoic areas in 50%) |
| Homogenous hyperechoic in 20% of small hemangiomas | Hyper- or isoechoic | Hyper- or isoechoic | Isoechoic | |
| Focal nodular hyperplasia | Hyperechoic | Hyper- or isoechoic; non-enhancing central scar in 45% | Hyper- or isoechoic; non-enhancing central scar in 45% | Hyper- or isoechoic |
| Hepatocellular adenoma | Hyperechoic | Isoechoic | Isoechoic | Isoechoic |
| Fatty changes or focal fatty sparing | Isoechoic | Isoechoic | Isoechoic | Isoechoic |
| Noncomplicated cysts | Absence of enhancement | Absence of enhancement | Absence of enhancement | Absence of enhancement |