Abstract：Objective: To explore the correlation between quantitation parameters of blood perfusion with contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) and microvessel density(MVD) in hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC). Methods: CEUS was examined before operation in 46 patients with HCC. Time-intensity curves(TIC) in 46 cases with HCC were analyzed to get the time to peak(TTP) and peak intensity(PI) of HCC and tissue around HCC. These parameters were analyzed correlatively with MVD counted with immunocytochemistry. Result: The mean TTP of HCC and tissue around HCC were (14.24±5.11)s and (25.34±9.11)s, the mean PI of HCC and tissue around HCC were (43.11±10.25)dB and (20.87±8.21)dB, the mean MVD of HCC and tissue around HCC were 52.32±18.21 and 21.43±8.65. The TTP before operation correlated inversely to MVD (r=-0.75, P＜0.05) of histological section after operation. The PI before operation was correlated positively to MVD (r=0.73, P＜0.05) of histological section after operation. Conclusions: The quantitative parameters of blood perfusion, TTP and PI, with calculated from CEUS was correlated to MVD. These parameters could be a potential indicator of angiogenesis of HCC before operation.
2009, Vol. 20 
