Peritumoral Bright Marker on CEUS Raises HCC Recurrence Risk by 76%, Underscoring Wider Ablation Margins

A peritumoral bright marker (PBM) on contrast-enhanced ultrasound—tumor ≥5 mm larger than on gray-scale—more than doubled microvascular invasion (52.2% vs 25%) and raised overall recurrence risk by 76% in HCC patients, supporting wider ablation margins under CEUS guidance.

• PBM prevalence was highest in tumors >3 cm (30.8%), recurrent HCC (28.4%), and cirrhotic livers (26.8%), suggesting CEUS guidance is especially warranted for ablation in these groups.
• Gray-scale ultrasound underestimated tumor extent, and the impact of PBM on prognosis was more pronounced after thermal ablation than laparoscopic hepatectomy.
• The marker reflects more aggressive tumor biology with higher positivity for cytokeratin-7 and cytokeratin-19, and may lead to wider treatment margins based on CEUS rather than gray-scale.

Automated summary

RadPigeon summaries are original and for information only. They are not clinical advice.