Ultrasonography of primary liver carcinoma (PLC) and targetted cytologic examination.

A primary liver cell carcinoma was disclosed in 11 cases out of a total of 61 patients with a focal hepatic lesion. The authors investigate the diagnostic significance of abdominal ultrasonography (US) as a major diagnostic modality in early detection of PLC. It is concluded that abdominal US is an important contribution to diagnosis of hepatic lesions smaller than 1 cm in diameter. The echographic features of PLC are often unspecific thus requiring a complementary targetted cytologic examination. A short comparison of US computed tomography and liver scintigraphy is given.