Abstract
Background: Accurate detection and characterization of focal tumoral liver lesions are essential for guiding clinical management. Ultrasound is widely used as a first-line tool but has limitations in sensitivity and lesion characterization. Triphasic computed tomography (CT) offers multiphasic vascular-phase imaging that may improve diagnostic performance.
Objective: To compare the diagnostic efficiency of triphasic CT with conventional ultrasound in the evaluation of focal tumoral liver lesions.
Methods: A prospective comparative diagnostic accuracy study was conducted on 65 patients with focal liver lesions detected on ultrasound. All underwent triphasic CT within two weeks. Final diagnoses were confirmed by histopathology or follow-up imaging. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and overall accuracy were calculated for both modalities.
Results: Triphasic CT achieved 100% sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy in diagnosing malignant lesions. Ultrasound showed sensitivity of 73.8%, specificity of 95.7%, PPV of 96.9%, NPV of 66.7%, and accuracy of 81.5%. CT also reduced indeterminate cases compared to ultrasound (26.2% vs. 15.4%).
Conclusion: Triphasic CT outperforms ultrasound in characterizing focal tumoral liver lesions and should be considered when ultrasound findings are inconclusive or when malignancy is suspected.