The role of Doppler Perfusion Index as screening test in the characterization of focal liver lesions

PurposeDoppler Perfusion Index (DPI) has been used in the detection of overt liver metastatic disease. In the present prospective study we evaluated the use of DPI in the differential diagnosis of liver tumours.Materials and methodsWe have included in our study 76 patients with focal hepatic lesion and 39 subjects as control group. All patients were evaluated by Color Doppler Ultrasound, and/or Spiral Computerised Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging and biopsy. The radiologist performed DPI measurements was blind from the final diagnosis of the other methods.ResultsDPI measurements in the control group ranged from 0.07 to 0.22 (mean value 0.14), in 42 cases with benign lesions (group A) ranged from 0.05 to 0.53 (mean 0.15) and in 34 cases with malignant lesions (group B) ranged from 0.39 to 0.75 (mean 0.53). There was a statistically significant difference in DPI measurements between the control group and group B.ConclusionsOur results suggest that the DPI may differentiate malignant from benign focal hepatic lesions and therefore can be used as a screening test in the routine clinical practice.