Three-dimensional ultrasonography: contribution to the diagnosis of liver and bile duct disorders.

Use of three section planes allows to examine the region of interest from various angles and to perform three-dimensional reconstructions, with extremely accurate measurements. A gallbladder polyp and its stalk can be differentiated from a microlithiasis. Multiple biliary cysts in contact with one another can be distinguished from a multilobulated cyst, and communications between cysts and bile ducts can be visualized. The arborization of the suprahepatic blood vessels is shown. The relationships between the vessels and the tumor can be studied, a map of the lesions can be drawn, and the effects of the treatment on tumor growth can be evaluated. Three-dimensional ultrasonography can even establish the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma despite the heterogeneity of the neighboring hepatic parenchyma.