Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Features for WHO/ISUP Grading in Renal Cell Carcinoma

ObjectivesBy analyzing the differences of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features between low- and high-grade of WHO/ISUP grading, to explore the diagnostic value of CEUS in evaluating the prognosis of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). MethodsThe qualitative and quantitative features of CEUS in 69 patients with RCC confirmed by surgical pathology in the Lanzhou University Second Hospital from March to October 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were categorized into two groups: low-grade group (n = 22) and high-grade group (n = 47), with surgical pathology as reference standard. The diagnostic performance of statistically significant CEUS features was evaluated by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. ResultsThere were statistically significant differences in enhancement degree (P = .032) and quantitative features such as slope(lesion) (P = .034), the differences between lesion and cortex in arrive time ( increment AT = AT(lesion) - AT(cortex), P = .013), peak intensity( increment PI = [PIlesion - PIcortex]/PIcortex, P = .003), area under the curve ( increment Area = Area(lesion) - Area(cortex), P = .008) in two groups, and the sensitivity was 70.2% and specificity was 71.4% of increment PI, which has a high diagnostic performance in the differentiation of low-grade group from high-grade group (P = .005). ConclusionsCEUS features such as increment PI, may help differentiate low-grade RCC from high-grade RCC. CEUS has a promising application prospect in preoperative evaluation of the prognosis of RCC.