Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To explore the imaging manifestations and clinical application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer by performing CEUS in patients. Additionally, we compared the results of CEUS with those of abdominal contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) to assess the reliability of diagnosing liver metastases in patients with middle and low rectal cancer. METHODS: Hepatic CEUS was performed in 1095 patients with middle and low rectal cancer, and all patients underwent abdominal CECT examinations to determine the presence or absence of liver metastases. The results of both examinations were compared to evaluate the value of hepatic CEUS for detecting liver metastases in patients with middle and low rectal cancer. RESULTS: Among 1095 patients with middle and low rectal cancer, 132 were diagnosed with liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer. 130 cases of liver metastases of rectal cancer were identified using hepatic CEUS, whereas 126 cases were identified using abdominal CECT. The detection rates of hepatic CEUS and abdominal CECT for liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer showed no statistically significant differences (P > 0.05). The Kappa value for the diagnosis of liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer between hepatic CEUS and abdominal CECT was 0.974 (P < 0.001), indicating good consistency between the two imaging modalities in detecting liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer. CONCLUSION: Hepatic CEUS can be used to diagnose liver metastases in middle and low rectal cancer, providing crucial imaging evidence for clinical treatment planning. It exhibited higher sensitivity than that of abdominal CECT in diagnosing liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer, enabling the identification of higher number of liver metastases of middle and low rectal cancer cases.