Predicting lymph node status in patients with early gastric carcinoma using double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography

INTRODUCTION: Double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCUS) is a new method we used in predicting lymph node metastasis (LNM) in patients with early gastric cancer. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Seventy-six patients with early gastric cancer diagnosed by gastroscope and confirmed by pathology after operation were examined using DCUS preoperatively. Group N1 included 15 patients with LNM and group N0 61 patients without LNM. RESULTS: In group N1, 13 patients (87%) had marked hyperenhancement during early arterial phase using DCUS, and 2 patients (13%) were unmarked as hyperenhancement. In group N0, 24 patients (39%) had marked hyperenhancement during early arterial phase using DCUS, and 37 patients (61%) had unmarked hyperenhancement. The sensitivity and specificity of marked hyperenhancement in predicting LNM in patients with early gastric cancer was 86.7% and 60.7% respectively, and the Youden’s index was 0.474. The κ value of this method was 0.89. CONCLUSIONS: Double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is a new valuable method to evaluate LNM at an early stage of gastric cancer and prognosis of early gastric cancer preoperatively.