CHRONIC LIVER-DISEASE - COMPARISON OF ULTRASOUND PATTERNS WITH LAPAROSCOPY AND BIOPSY

We studied the correlation of ultrasound patterns with laparoscopy and biopsy results in 140 patients with chronic liver disease (CLD). Of t he 23 patients with a normal ultrasound pattern (N), biopsies revealed CLD in 18; in the 22 patients with unspecific hepatomegaly (H), biops ies disclosed CLD in 20; and in the 64 patients with a homogeneous bri ght pattern (HB), biopsies showed CLD in 62. All 22 cases of heterogen eous bright pattern (HTB) and all 9 patients with nodular pattern (ND) had CLD. In conclusion, it appears that the HTB and nodular ultrasoun d patterns confirm the presence of CLD, the HB pattern is suggestive o f CLD, but diagnosis of CLD cannot be made from N and H patterns.