Ultrasonography and scintigraphy of the liver in focal and diffuse disease.

In a clinical series the accuracy of standard colloid scintigraphy and gray-scale ultrasonography in investigations for liver disease was evaluated. The results of 246 investigations in which both methods were utilized were reviewed and classified according to diagnosis and follow-up. In focal disease the sensitivity was 0.90 for scintigraphy, and 0.83 for ultrasonography; ultrasonography had the higher specificity, 0.94 compared with 0.77 for scintigraphy. In diffuse disease the sensitivity was found to be low for both methods, about 0.60, while specificity was high, 0.86 for scintigraphy and 0.92 for ultrasonography. Decreased liver function in diffuse liver disease as reflected by bone marrow uptake at scintigraphy was not found to have any influence on the degree of sensitivity of ultrasonography.