Classification and examination methods of liver nodules

Liver nodules refer to the proliferation of fibrous tissue inside the liver and the disordered arrangement of liver trabeculae. Liver nodules can be divided into benign nodules and malignant nodules according to the different conditions of the disease. If you want to determine whether a liver nodule is benign or malignant, you can do a routine liver ultrasound examination to make a judgment. Below I will introduce to you the classification and examination methods of liver nodules.

1. Benign nodules

Common ones include liver cysts, hepatic hemangiomas, focal nodular hyperplasia, etc. They generally grow slowly and have little impact on human health. They do not require special treatment and generally only require regular follow-up. However, if the nodule is too large and causes compression symptoms, surgical treatment can be considered.

2. Malignant nodules

It is also what we often call a malignant tumor. It mainly includes hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, gastrointestinal tract, gallbladder, breast and other metastatic tumors. Malignant tumors grow invasively, rapidly, and easily metastasize, posing a serious threat to life. Once discovered, treatment must be given as soon as possible without delay.

3. Routine Ultrasound Examination of the Liver

Ultrasonic examination has the advantages of being cheap, convenient and non-invasive. For routine ultrasound examinations, patients are advised to fast for more than 8 hours to reduce the impact of gastrointestinal gas on liver image quality. Conventional ultrasound can display the size and shape of the liver, the intrahepatic parenchymal structure, the duct system, the direction and distribution of blood vessels, determine the presence or absence of liver nodules, the specific size and location, and preliminarily identify the benign or malignant nodules. It is suitable for routine physical examinations and regular review of nodules.

Although conventional ultrasound is the preferred examination method for the liver, further qualitative diagnosis of intrahepatic nodules and clarification of the blood supply of nodules require the assistance of ultrasound angiography.

Contrast ultrasound is done by injecting ultrasound contrast agent into a vein. It is suitable for lesions that need further diagnosis after routine ultrasound examination, suspicious lesions in patients with chronic hepatitis or cirrhosis, and suspicious lesions in patients with a history of malignant tumors.

When MRI, CT, or other imaging results are unclear or inconsistent, more imaging information can be provided.