. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2021 Nov 11.

Published in final edited form as: Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2019 Jul 16;42(9):1240–1254. doi: 10.1007/s00270-019-02284-9

Table 2.

Imaging modalities used for colorectal liver metastases (CLM) detection and follow-up.

Nr.	Imaging modality	Description
1.	CT of the chest/ abdomen/ pelvis with triphasic liver protocol	It is the most commonly used imaging modality in diagnosis of both intrahepatic and extrahepatic metastases as well as post-treatment follow-up [158-160]; however, CT is not sensitive enough to detect lesions smaller than 1 cm.
2.	MRI with liver-specific contrast agents and diffusion-weighted imaging	It is more sensitive than CT for detecting smaller CLM, it is more often chosen by surgeons when planning metastatectomy [158-160].
3.	¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT imaging	It is not routinely used in CRC work-up, however, if CT or MRI detects suspicious but inconclusive abnormalities, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT may be considered. It is recommended for restaging prior to resection or ablation of metastatic disease.
4.	¹⁸F FDG PET/MRI imaging	It is gaining some popularity for its sensitivity and specificity in diagnosing CLMs [161], however it is not available in many institutions;
5.	Traditional ultrasound (US), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and intra-operative US	They all have a role in detecting CLM [162], especially useful for image-guided needle biopsy of CLM.