The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Detection of Neoplastic Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the principal primary liver cancer and one of the most frequent malignant tumors worldwide in patients with chronic liver disease. When diagnosed at an advanced stage, it is often associated with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), which heavily affects patients’ prognosis. Imaging evaluation is crucial in PVTT detection and staging; computed tomography and magnetic resonance are the principal diagnostic tools. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a non-invasive and easily repeatable method that can also be used in patients with impaired renal function. It represents an important means for the identification of PVTT, particularly differentiating neoplastic and non-neoplastic thrombosis through the analysis of ultrasound enhancement characteristics of the thrombosis (arterial hyperenhancement and portal washout), thus allowing more refined disease staging, appropriate treatment planning, and response evaluation, along with prognosis assessment.