Figure 2.

Contrast-enhanced (CE) three-dimensional ultrasonography (3D US) images of the liver in an 88-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in the anterior inferior segment of the right lobe. A) A hypoechoic nodule with a diameter of 28 mm is visible on a 2D sonogram (arrows). B) The same nodule observed during the early phase shows diffuse enhancement of the intratumoral vessels in three orthogonal planes on an MPR display (arrowheads). C) A tomographic ultrasound image with a slice distance of 1.5 mm shows diffuse enhancement of the intratumoral vessels (arrowheads) during the early phase. D) Assessments of the three orthogonal planes on an MPR display show decreases in vascular flow in the tumor during the early phase (arrowheads) when examined after sorafenib treatment; however, the blood flow in the non-tumorous area did not change. E) Tomographic ultrasound images with a slice distance of 1.5 mm also show the decreased enhancement of intratumoral vessels (arrowheads) during the early phase when examined after sorafenib treatment; however, the blood flow in the non-tumorous area did not change. The microvessel density (MVD) in the tumor (F) as assessed using CD34 staining decreased after sorafenib treatment (original magnification, x200) (H). On the other hand, the MVD of the non-tumorous area (G) as assessed using CD34 staining did not change, even after sorafenib treatment (original magnification, x200) (I).