Efficacy of the Resistive Index of Color Doppler Ultrasonography in Differential Diagnosis of Benign and Malignant Hepatic Space Occupying Lesions

Background: Write the background in 1 to 2 sentences.Objective: The purpose of the present study was to estimate the efficacy of resistive index (RI) of color Doppler ultrasonography in different space occupying liver lesions.Methodology: This cross sectional study was conducted at in Bangabandhu Sheik Mujib Medical University (BSMMU), Dhaka from July 2010 to December 2012. All the patients presented with the suspicion of hepatic space occupying lesions were enrolled for this study who were later diagnosed clinically or ultrasonographically. This patients were also examined by color Doppler flow imaging. All patients were examined by gray scale ltrasonography, color Doppler and FNAC. To visualize the blood flow, standard color Doppler sonography is used for each lesion. Within the lesions, pulsed Doppler samples are assessed whenever possible on the basis of pulsatile flow. At least three measurements of resistive index (RI) of intra tumoral and peritumoral arterial blood flow would be the last mean value.Results: The detection rate of arterial flow in primary malignant tumors was 94.4% and 87.7% in hepatic metastasis. Doppler spectrum analysis showed the resistance index in primary malignant tumor was 0.75±0.12, 0.73±0.09 in metastatic tumor and was below 0.6 in benign lesions. The difference was significant (p<0.001). This difference was related with its histopathologic structure. The arterial flow with RI >0.6 in CDFI within the liver lesion can be regarded as a criterion of malignant tumors, RI <0.6 can be regarded as benign lesions.Conclusion: RI is more helpful in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant lever lesions.J Shaheed Suhrawardy Med Coll, June 2014, Vol.6(1); 27-30