THE VALUE OF TRIPHASIC SPIRAL CT IN COMPARISON TO OTHER CONVENTIONAL MODALITIES IN DIAGNOSIS OF HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Abstract

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common tumor m human worldwide, with an estimated one million new cases diagnosed annually.

Early diagnosis ofHCC gives a golden chance for the patient, when curative treatment is still feasible.

In our study, thirty patients with chronic liver disease and hepatic focal lesion(s) detected by imaging study were selected.

All patients were subjected to full history taking, thorough clinical examination, laboratory investigations including; complete blood picture, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, liver function tests, prothrombin time, hepatitis markers (HBs Ag and HCV Ab) and serum alpha-fetoprotein level, abdominal ultrasonography, abdominal triphasic spiral computed tomography and histopathological examination of ultrasound or CT guided biopsy taken from the hepatic focal (all patients with AFP level less than 500 ng/mL were subjected to biopsy taking while patients with AFP level more than 500 ng/mL were subjected to biopsy when it was possible).

According to the serum alpha-fetoprotein level, the patients were divided into two groups:

Group 1: included twenty patients (66.67o/o of patients) with

hepatic focal lesion(s) and alpha-fetoprotein level less than 500