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CompletedNCT05772403Updated Mar 22, 2023

Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in Atypical Liver Nodules in Patients With Chronic Liver Disease

An observational study in Hepatocellular Carcinoma, sponsored by Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS. Completed at 1 site in Italy. Open to participants aged 18 Years and older. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-03-22.

Sponsored by Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS · Observational

Study type
Observational
Model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
100
Ages
18 Years and older
Sex
All
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Study summary

The present study aims to investigate the role of CEUS in evaluating liver lesions with atypical characteristics on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI. All patients enrolled in the study underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Based on CEUS characteristics, atypical nodules will be categorized according to CEUS LI-RADS classification.

Read the detailed description

This retrospective study investigates the role of CEUS in evaluating liver lesions with atypical characteristics on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI. All patients enrolled in the study underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound. All CEUS exams were performed, recorded, and analyzed by two experienced operators (>10 years of experience with abdominal US and CEUS). Based on CEUS characteristics, atypical nodules will be categorized according to CEUS LI-RADS (LR) classification. If the analyzed nodule shows a typical hallmark on CEUS (LR-5), that is arterial phase hyperenhancement with late-onset (>60 s) washout of mild intensity, it is definitively considered HCC and have been treated appropriately. Categories LR-3 and LR-4 comprise nodules with different combinations of arterial and venous phase enhancement features, expected to correspond to an intermediate or high probability of lesions to be HCC. Patients with LR-3 or LR-4 nodules underwent follow-up; in some cases they underwent biopsy.

LR-M is used to classify high-probability malignant lesions but nonspecific for HCC; these nodules underwent biopsy for further characterization.

02

Conditions studied

  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma

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03

In context

Liver Diseases

2,081 studies on the registry are indexed under Liver Diseases; 390 are open to participants now.

This study's enrollment of 100 is below the median of 167 across 681 observational studies indexed under Liver Diseases.

Browse Liver Diseases studies →

Lead sponsor

Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS is the lead sponsor of 920 studies on the registry; 529 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years and older
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
No
Sampling method
Non-probability sample

Study population

Patients followed for liver cirrhosis or chronic liver disease with increased risk of HCC (HBV-related hepatopathy or fibrosis F3) and diagnosed with liver atypical nodules on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI.

Inclusion criteria

  • diagnosis of liver cirrhosis or chronic liver disease with increased risk of HCC
  • diagnosis of atypical nodules on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • less than 18 years of age
  • pregnancy
  • typical nodules on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI
  • non-visualized nodule on B-mode US
  • CEUS not performed or performed more than three months after CT or MRI
05

Study design

Observational model
Cohort
Time perspective
Retrospective
Enrollment
100 participants (actual)
Patient registry
No

Interventions

  • Diagnostic testCEUS

    CEUS for atypical liver nodules

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What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. The role of CEUS in evaluating atypic liver lesions on contrast-enhanced CT or MRI.

    The primary endpoint is to assess the contrastographic behaviour of nodules suspected of HCC and defined as atypical by contrast-enhanced CT and MRI, using CEUS. Prevalence of CEUS LI-RADS categories among atypical nodules will be described.

    Time frame: Between January 2018 and January 2023

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Fondazione Policlinico A Gemelli Irccs
    Roma, RM 00168, Italy
08

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Mar 22, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
09

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT05772403
Lead sponsor
Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS
Responsible party
Sponsor
First posted
Mar 16, 2023
Start date
Aug 1, 2021
Primary completion
Jan 31, 2023
Completion
Jan 31, 2023
Last update
Mar 22, 2023

Oversight

FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

Not currently enrolling

This study is completed, as verified in Mar 2023. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.

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