Portal vein thrombosis with contrast-enhanced ultrasound in a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma: a case study.

Portal vein thrombosis (PVT) is the presence of thrombus in the portal vein that causes partial or complete occlusion. It is prevalent in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), where it can be either bland or malignant depending on the presence of invasion. Recent studies have identified contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as the most reliable method of imaging to make this distinction. The arterial neovascularisation that is evident in a neoplastic thrombus can be visualised on CEUS with enhancement and pulsation, witnessed in real-time. This case study describes the use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound used as a non-invasive method to define the bland and malignant components of portal vein thrombosis in a 76-year-old male with hepatocellular carcinoma and cirrhosis.