Abdominal Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound, A Practical Review

Abstract

Abstract Abdominal contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a relatively new investigation method that combines conventional ultrasound with a small amount of intravenous contrast through a peripheral vein (usually the cubital vein). The contrast is made by very small gas microbubbles floating in a phospholipid suspension. The size of microbubbles are between 1-10 micrometers, being to large to go out of the vessels, but sufficiently small to stay into the capillaries, and this is the reason for they can be used as vascular tracers. So, it is possible to obtain images with microvessels inside of different organs in different vascular phases (arterial, portal, venous), images that are similar with the one obtained in CECT and CEMRI. The intravenous contrast used in CEUS eliminates trough the lungs, during expiration. These is the reason why the most important contraindication for using iv contrast is severe respiratory failure. Also, it is important that intravenous contrast is not allergenic, the percentage of allergic reaction being extremly small (0,001%). The most important advantages of CEUS are: • It can be safely used for the pacients that are allergic to intravenous contrast used in CECT and CEMRI; • It can be used in pacients with chronic kidney disease; Abdominal contrast enhanced ultrasound is used in day-to-day practice mainly for evaluation of hepatic lesions, but also for pancreatic, kidney, testis pathology, as well as for inflammatory bowel diseases.