Proposal of an Ultrasonographic Classification for Hepatic Alveolar Echinococcosis: Echinococcosis Multilocularis Ulm Classification-ultrasound

Overview

Journal World J Gastroenterol

Publisher Baishideng Publishing Group

Specialty Gastroenterology

Date 2015 Nov 26

PMID 26604646

Citations 33

Authors

Wolfgang Kratzer

Beate Gruener

Tanja E M Kaltenbach

Sarina Ansari-Bitzenberger

Peter Kern

Michael Fuchs

Richard A Mason

Thomas F E Barth

Mark M Haenle

Andreas Hillenbrand

Suemeyra Oeztuerk

Tilmann Graeter

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Aim: To establish an ultrasonographic classification based on a large sample of patients with confirmed hepatic alveolar echinococcosis (AE).

Methods: Clinical data and ultrasonography (US) findings of 185 patients (100 males; 85 females; mean age at diagnosis: 51.4 ± 17.6 years; mean age at time of US examination: 58.7 ± 18.2 years) were retrospectively reviewed with respect to the US morphology of hepatic AE lesions. The sonomorphological findings were grouped according to a five-part classification scheme.

Results: Application of the new classification resulted in the following distribution of sonomorphological patterns among the patients examined: hailstorm (54.1%); pseudocystic (13.5%); ossification (13.0%); hemangioma-like (8.1%); and metastasis-like (6.5%). Only 4.9% of lesions could not be assigned to a sonomorphological pattern.

Conclusion: The sonomorphological classification proposed in the present study facilitates the diagnosis, interpretation and comparison of hepatic alveolar echinococcosis in routine practice and in the context of scientific studies.

Citing Articles

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Comparison of ultrasonographic features between two types of hepatic echinococcosis and hepatoblastoma in children.

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Clinical value of the semi-quantitative parameters of F-fluorodeoxyglucose PET/CT in the classification of hepatic echinococcosis in the Qinghai Tibetan area of China.

Shen Z, Wang Y, Chen X, Chou S, Wang G, Wang Y BMC Med Imaging. 2024; 24(1):194.

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Wang H, Xia Q, Wang X, Zhang X, Ren Y, Wang Y Iran J Parasitol. 2024; 18(4):563-567.

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