Role Of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography Research Articles

The role of CEUS in diagnosing tuberculous abscess of the right diaphragm

PurposeTo evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in detecting tuberculous diaphragmatic abscess (TDA) of the right diaphragm and provide a reference for its clinical diagnosis.MethodsA retrospective analysis was conducted on 33 patients with right TDA confirmed via surgery and biopsy. The diagnostic accuracy of CEUS and routine ultrasound for detecting right TDA was compared.ResultsAmong the 33 right TDA cases, the lesions primarily exhibited mixed and low echogenicity, with an orientation parallel to the diaphragmatic surface. Eighteen patients (54.5%) demonstrated the characteristic “crocodile mouth sign.” Heterogeneous enhancement was observed in most cases (24 patients) compared to homogeneous or no enhancement. The diagnostic accuracy of routine ultrasound for right TDA was 54.50% (18/33), whereas CEUS demonstrated a significantly higher accuracy of 78.78% (26/33) (χ2 = 4.364, P = 0.037).ConclusionCEUS provides valuable insights into the vascular characteristics of right TDA, with most cases showing mixed echogenicity and heterogeneous enhancement. The “crocodile mouth sign” was a distinctive feature, highlighting the utility of CEUS in improving diagnostic accuracy for right TDA.

Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of contrast enhanced ultrasonography in chronic iliac venous obstruction.

Evaluation of the diagnostic accuracy of contrast enhanced ultrasonography in chronic iliac venous obstruction.

The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Differential Diagnosis of Malignant and Benign Subpleural Lung Lesions.

Background: The application of transthoracic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to the study of peripheral lung lesions is still a topic of debate. The main objective of this review was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of CEUS in the diagnosis of malignant subpleural pulmonary consolidations and, therefore, differentiate them from benign ones. Methods: Papers published before December 2023 were detected through a search of PubMed, Cochrane library, and Embase. The pooled specificity and sensitivity, summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were used. Results: CEUS is characterized by a pooled sensitivity of 0.95 (95% CI: 0.93-0.97) and a pooled specificity of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.90-0.95) in differentiating benign and malignant subpleural lung diseases; the AUC of SROC was 0.97. Homogeneous CE was characterized by a pooled sensitivity of 0.43 (95% CI: 0.40-0.45) and the pooled specificity of 0.49 (95% CI: 0.46-0.52). Non-homogeneous CE displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.57 (95% CI: 0.55-0.60) and a pooled specificity of 0.51 (95% CI: 0.48-0.54). The lack of CE displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.01 (95% CI: 0.00-0.06) and a pooled specificity of 0.76 (95% CI: 0.64-0.85). Marked CE displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.41 (95% CI: 0.37-0.44) and a pooled specificity of 0.54 (95% CI: 0.50-0.58). Non-marked CE displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.59 (95% CI: 0.56-0.63) and a pooled specificity of 0.46 (95% CI: 0.42-0.50). The early AT displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.04 (95% CI: 0.02-0.08) and a pooled specificity of 0.83 (95% CI: 0.77-0.87). The early wash out displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.61 (95% CI: 0.48-0.72) and a pooled specificity of 0.98 (95% CI: 0.92-1.00). The delayed wash out displayed a pooled sensitivity of 0.15 (95% CI: 0.10-0.20) and a pooled specificity of 0.69 (95% CI: 0.62-0.75). Conclusions: CEUS is characterized by excellent diagnostic accuracy for the diagnosis of the malignancy of subpleural lung lesions. By separately analyzing the CEUS findings, the diagnostic accuracy values are considerably lower and not significant in some cases. The simultaneous evaluation of multiple CEUS features allows us to reach an excellent diagnostic accuracy. Non-homogeneous CE with early wash out are the most indicative features of malignancy of a lung lesion.

The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Detection of Neoplastic Portal Vein Thrombosis in Patients with Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the principal primary liver cancer and one of the most frequent malignant tumors worldwide in patients with chronic liver disease. When diagnosed at an advanced stage, it is often associated with portal vein tumor thrombosis (PVTT), which heavily affects patients' prognosis. Imaging evaluation is crucial in PVTT detection and staging; computed tomography and magnetic resonance are the principal diagnostic tools. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a non-invasive and easily repeatable method that can also be used in patients with impaired renal function. It represents an important means for the identification of PVTT, particularly differentiating neoplastic and non-neoplastic thrombosis through the analysis of ultrasound enhancement characteristics of the thrombosis (arterial hyperenhancement and portal washout), thus allowing more refined disease staging, appropriate treatment planning, and response evaluation, along with prognosis assessment.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Evaluation of Cystic Renal Mass.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) allows excellent delineation of perfusion in septa and nodules without exposure to ionizing radiation or nephrotoxic contrast media. The aim of our study was to evaluate the role of CEUS for the assessment of cystic renal masses and compare its diagnostic performance with that of CECT. Exactly 40 patients diagnosed to have cystic renal masses on CECT scan were prospectively evaluated with CEUS and were assigned a Bosniak class. Based on results of final histopathology and clinical follow-up, internal validity of both CEUS and CECT was evaluated, including agreement between these two modalities. Out of the 40 patients (mean size 3.1 ± 2.5 cm), 23 patients had benign lesions and 17 patients had malignant lesions. For CEUS, the sensitivity and negative predictive value was 100%, the specificity and positive predictive value was 73.9%. For CECT, the sensitivity and negative predictive value were 88.2 and 83.3%, respectively, whereas the specificity and positive predictive value was 87 and 90.9%, respectively. Both imaging modalities had similar accuracy with fair to good agreement with the final diagnosis (Κ = 0.71 and 0.75 for CEUS and CECT, respectively). Concordance between CEUS and CECT was seen in 29 patients (72.5%) with fair agreement between the two modalities (K = 0.66). CEUS has comparable accuracy with CECT and could be used as screening modality to rule out the presence of complex cystic renal masses without exposure of nephrotoxic contrast media and ionizing radiation.

The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Differential Diagnosis of Tuberous Vas Deferens Tuberculosis and Metastatic Inguinal Lymph Nodes.

To retrospective analysis and summary the features of tuberous vas deferens tuberculosis (VD TB) and inguinal metastatic lymph nodes (MLN) in routine ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) as well as to assess the utility of CEUS in differentiating between the two diseases. The US and CEUS findings of patients with pathologically confirmed tuberous VD TB (n = 17) and inguinal MLN (n = 28), including the number of lesions, presence of bilateral disease, differences in internal echogenicity, a conglomeration of lesions, and blood flow within the lesions, were retrospectively analyzed. Routine US showed no significant difference in the number of lesions, nodule size, internal echogenicity, sinus tract, or skin rupture; however, significant differences were observed between the two conditions in the conglomeration of lesions (χ2 = 6.455; p = 0.023) and the degree, intensity, and echogenicity pattern on CEUS (χ2 = 18.865, 17.455, and 15.074, respectively; p = 0.000 for all). CEUS can show the blood supply of the lesion, and judge the physical condition of the lesion better than US. Homogeneous, centripetal, and diffuse enhancement should prompt a diagnosis of inguinal MLN, whereas lesions with heterogeneous and diffuse enhancement on CEUS should be considered as VD TB. CEUS has great diagnostic value in differentiating between tuberous VD TB and inguinal MLN.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Follow-Up after Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair.

The aim of this study was to assess whether contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) shows a false negative rate close to zero and therefore is suitable as the main non-invasive follow-up strategy for long-term monitoring after endovascular aortic repair (EVAR). We included all consecutive patients who underwent CEUS as follow-up after EVAR at our center between January 2017 and December 2021.The follow-up protocol consisted of Duplex ultrasound (DUS) with CEUS at 1, 3, 6 months postoperatively and every 6 months thereafter. A total of 125 patients underwent 228 CEUS. The aneurysm sac showed shrinkage in 80 (64%) patients, stability in 32 (25.6%), and enlargement in 13 (10.4%). A total of 29 (23.2%) patients showed type 2 endoleak, 6 (4.8%) patients showed type 1 endoleak and 3 (2.4%) patients showed type 3 endoleak. Thirteen patients underwent one or more reinterventions. The sensitivity of CEUS vs. DUS was 100% vs. 75% (p > 0.0001). In classifying type 2 endoleak, CEUS compared to DUS showed a sensitivity of 93.2% vs. 59.4% and a specificity of 99.3% vs. 99.3%. CEUS showed a higher sensitivity compared to DUS in the detection of type 2 endoleak. CEUS permits the identification of a subset of patients requiring a stricter follow-up protocol.

The Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Differentiating Splenic Tuberculosis From Splenic Lymphoma.

AimTo summarize the features of splenic tuberculosis and splenic lymphoma by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and examine the application of CEUS in differentiating splenic tuberculosis from splenic lymphoma.MethodsThe ultrasound and CEUS manifestations of 30 cases of splenic tuberculosis and 19 cases of splenic lymphoma were retrospectively analyzed, and the number of lesions, degree of splenomegaly, internal echogenicity, color blood flow signal, and CEUS manifestations of the two diseases were statistically determined.ResultsA significant difference was noted in the internal echogenicity between splenic tuberculosis and splenic lymphoma lesions, particularly the strip-shaped hyperechoic areas of the lesions. The ultrasound features of perisplenic, retroperitoneal, and superficial lymph node enlargement were found to overlap (p < 0.05). Splenic tuberculosis showed heterogeneous enhancement and non-enhancement, whereas lymphoma showed low enhancement and high enhancement, and CEUS findings were statistically significant in distinguishing both, p < 0.05.ConclusionSplenic tuberculosis is characterized by a lack of blood supply, mostly heterogeneous enhancement, and non-enhancement noted in CEUS. Splenic lymphoma lesions are often characterized by a rich blood supply and homogeneous enhancement on CEUS. CEUS can help identify the microcirculation of lesions in both patients with splenic lymphoma and patients with splenic tuberculosis. Thus, CEUS has great application value.

A Practical CEUS Thyroid Reporting System for Thyroid Nodules.

Background The role of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) in reducing unnecessary biopsies of thyroid nodules has received little attention. Purpose To construct and externally validate a thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) based on nonenhanced US and CEUS to stratify the malignancy risk of thyroid nodules. Materials and Methods This retrospective study evaluated 756 patients with 801 thyroid nodules who underwent nonenhanced US, CEUS, and fine-needle aspiration and received a final diagnosis from January 2018 to December 2019. Qualitative US features of the thyroid nodules were analyzed with univariable and multivariable logistic regression to construct a CEUS TI-RADS. The CEUS TI-RADS was validated with use of internal cross-validation and external validation. Results A total of 801 thyroid nodules in 590 female (mean age, 44 years ± 13) and 166 male (mean age, 47 years ± 13 [SD]) patients were included. Independent predictive US features included nodule composition at CEUS, echogenicity, nodule shape, nodule margin, echogenic foci, extrathyroidal extension, enhancement direction, peak intensity, and ring enhancement. The CEUS TI-RADS showed a higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.93 (95% CI: 0.92, 0.95; P < .001 in comparison with all other systems), a biopsy yield of malignancy of 66% (157 of 239 nodules), and an unnecessary biopsy rate of 34% (82 of 239 nodules). In the external validation, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, biopsy yield of malignancy, and unnecessary biopsy rate of CEUS TI-RADS were 0.89 (95% CI: 0.84, 0.92), 61% (65 of 106 nodules), and 39% (41 of 106 nodules) for the first external validation set and 0.90 (95% CI: 0.85, 0.94), 57% (56 of 99 nodules), and 43% (43 of 99 nodules) for the second external validation set. Conclusion A contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) thyroid imaging reporting and data system was created with thyroid nodule malignancy risk stratification according to the simplified regression coefficients of nonenhanced US and qualitative features of CEUS. Clinical trials registration no. ChiCTR2000028712 Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Focal liver lesions in cirrhosis: Role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) represents a great innovation for the evaluation of focal liver lesions (FLLs). The main advantage of CEUS is the real-time imaging examination and the very low toxicity in patients with renal failure. Liver cirrhosis has been recognized as a major risk factor for the onset of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC). HCC in liver cirrhosis develops as the last step of a complex that leads to the gradual transformation from regenerative nodule through dysplastic nodule to HCC. In patients with liver cirrhosis, a surveillance program is recommended consisting of ultrasound (US) for detecting small focal lesions. A wide spectrum of benign and malignant lesions other than HCC may be found in the cirrhotic liver and their differentiation is important to avoid errors in staging diseases that may preclude potentially curative therapies. Several published studies have explored the value of CEUS in liver cirrhosis and they have been shown to have excellent diagnostic and prognostic performances for the evaluation of non-invasive and efficient diagnosis of FLLs in patients at high risk for liver malignancies. The purpose of this article is to describe and discuss CEUS imaging findings of FLLs including HCC and ICC, all of which occur in cirrhotic livers with varying prevalence.

Loco-regional treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: Role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the few cancers for which locoregional treatments (LRTs) are included in international guidelines and are considered as a valid alternative to conventional surgery. According to Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer classification, percutaneous treatments such as percutaneous ethanol injection, radiofrequency ablation and microwave ablation are the therapy of choice among curative treatments in patients categorized as very early and early stage, while transcatheter arterial chemoembolization is considered the better option for intermediate stage HCC. A precise assessment of treatment efficacy and surveillance is essential to optimize survival rate, whereas residual tumor requires additional treatment. Imaging modalities play a key role in this task. Currently, contrast-enhanced computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging are considered the standard imaging modalities for this purpose. Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), using second generation contrast agents, plays an increasingly important role in detecting residual disease after LRTs. CEUS is a straightforward to perform, repeatable and cost-effective imaging modality for patients with renal failure or iodine allergies. Due to the ability to focus on single regions, CEUS can also provide high temporal resolution. Moreover, several studies have reported the same or better diagnostic accuracy as contrast-enhanced computed tomography for assessing tumor vascularity 1 mo after LRTs, and recently three-dimensional (3D)-CEUS has been reported as a promising technique to improve the evaluation of tumor response to therapy. Furthermore, CEUS could be used early after procedures in monitoring HCC treatments, but nowadays this indication is still debated, and data from literature are conflicting, especially after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization procedure.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Pulmonary Lesions: 5-Year Experience at a Single Center.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Pulmonary Lesions: 5-Year Experience at a Single Center.

Treatment of recurrent iliac branch occlusion after endovascular repair of abdominal aortic aneurysm diagnosed by contrast- enhanced ultrasound combined with computed tomography angiography: a case report

Endovascular treatment of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) has been in use for several decades and has become the main treatment for this disease. Iliac branch occlusion (IBO) is a common complication after endovascular treatment. The diagnosis and guidance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with computed tomography angiography (CTA) in the treatment of recurrent IBO after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) are rarely reported. In this case, CEUS gave important hints on the cause of IBO. We present a 67-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with AAA in 2020 and underwent endovascular treatment in the same period. There was no family history of AAA. The operation process was successful. The CTA re-examination one month after operation showed that the aneurysm was well isolated without obvious endoleak. However, the patient developed intermittent claudication of both lower limbs after operation, but did not receive relevant diagnosis and treatment. Four months after surgery, the patient's claudication symptoms of the left lower limb were significantly worse than before, and CTA review revealed left IBO. The left ankle brachial index (ABI) was too low to detect the value. A femoral artery thrombectomy was performed and a stent was extended distal to the left iliac stent. The claudication symptoms improved after surgery. Unfortunately, only two months later, the patient developed rest pain in the left lower limb. CTA examination showed that the left iliac branch was occluded again. The problem in the proximal end of the left iliac branch was observed by CEUS before re-operation, which was also confirmed by digital subtraction angiography (DSA) after thrombectomy. The blood flow was significantly improved after the angle of the proximal iliac branch was adjusted by stent placement. The patient did not show claudication symptoms again during follow-up. Through CEUS, we identified the pathogenic causes which could not be reflected in CTA and formulated the correct treatment plan. The risk factors of IBO after EVAR are mostly hidden in the process of the initial operation. CEUS can provide more information about postoperative hemodynamics than CTA. The role of CEUS in postoperative follow-up of endovascular treatment of AAA needs to be further explored.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Using LI-RADS and Ancillary Features: A Single Tertiary Centre Experience.

Clinical utility of ancillary features (AFs) in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS®) is yet to be established. In this study, we assessed the diagnostic yield of CEUS LI-RADS and AFs in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). We retrospectively included patients with risk factors for HCC and newly diagnosed focal liver lesions (FLL). All lesions have been categorized according to the CEUS LI-RADS v2017 by an experienced sonographer blinded to clinical data and to the final diagnosis. From a total of 143 patients with 191 FLL, AFs favoring HCC were observed in 19.8% cases as hypoechoic rim and in 16.7% cases as nodule-in nodule architecture. From the total of 141 HCC cases, 83.6% were correctly classified: 57.4%- LR-5 and 26.2%- LR-4. In 9.21% cases, CEUS indicated LR-M; 2.12% cases- LR-3. The LR-5 category was 96.2% predictive (PPV) of HCC. LR-5 had 60.4% sensitivity and 93.6% specificity. PPV for primitive malignancy (LR-4 + LR-5) was 95.7%, with 88% sensitivity, 89.3% specificity and 88.4% accuracy for HCC. LR-4 category had 94.8% PPV and 26.2% sensitivity. CEUS LR4 + LR5 had 81,8% sensitivity for HCCs over 2 cm and 78.57% sensitivity for smaller HCCs. CEUS LR-5 remains an excellent diagnostic tool for HCC, despite the size of the lesion. The use of AFs might improve the overarching goal of LR-5 + LR-4 diagnosis of high specificity for HCC and exclusion of non-HCC malignancy.

Role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography in MR-guided focused ultrasound ablation on uterus fibroids: lesion selection and assessment of ablative effects.

To determine whether contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) can be used for selecting lesions and assessing the ablative effects of MRgFUS ablation on uterus fibroids, compared with MR imaging. This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board of our hospital. From April 2018 to November 2019, a total of 44 symptomatic fibroids in 38 patients who underwent MRgFUS ablation were included. The association between pre-ablation characteristics on CEUS/MR imaging and the non-perfusion volume (NPV) after ablation was analyzed using multivariable linearregression analysis. The area under the curve (AUC) of the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve values was compared between the CEUS and MR imaging regression models. NPV after ablation was compared between CEUS and enhanced MR imaging. On CEUS, entangled branch vessels, fast-in, and fast-out patterns were significantly associated with NPV, with an AUC of 0.95 (95% CI; 0.88, 1.00). On MR imaging, hyper-intensity on T2-weighted images (T2WI), hyper-intense ring-like signal on T2WI images, and hyper-enhancement on contrast-enhanced T1WI images were correlated with NPV, with an AUC of 0.86 (95% CI; 0.70, 1.00). After ablation, no differences in NPV were noted between contrast-enhanced T1WI (84.13 ± 75.42 cm3) and CEUS (80.22 ± 76.49 cm3). Some pre-ablation characteristics of uterine fibroids on CEUS were associated with NPV after MRgFUS. CEUS may contribute to the evaluation of ablative outcomes and patient selection, similar to MR imaging. • Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is effective for selecting the appropriate uterine fibroids before MR-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) ablation and evaluating non-perfusion volumes (NPV) after ablation, as a potential alternative to MR imaging. • Before ablation, entangled branch vessels, fast-in, and fast-out patterns on CEUS were significantly associated with NPV after MRgFUS. • No significant differences in NPV were detected between contrast-enhanced T1WI and CEUS after ablation.

Thyroid Nodule Characterization: How to Assess the Malignancy Risk. Update of the Literature.

Ultrasound (US) is the first imaging modality for thyroid parenchyma evaluation. In the last decades, the role of ultrasound has been improved with the introduction of new US software, such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and US-elastography (USE). USE is nowadays recognized as an essential part of the multiparametric ultrasound (MPUS) examination, in particular for the indeterminate thyroid nodule with possible fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) number reduction; even if further and larger studies are needed to validate it. More controversial is the role of CEUS in thyroid evaluation, due to its high variability in sensitivity and specificity. Semi-automatic US systems based on the computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) system are producing interesting results, especially as an aid to less experienced operators. New knowledge on the molecular mechanisms involved in thyroid cancer is allowing practitioners to identify new genomic thyroid markers that could reduce the number of “diagnostic” thyroidectomies. We have therefore drawn up an updated representation of the current evidence in the literature for thyroid nodule multiparametric ultrasound (MPUS) evaluation with particular regard to USE, the US CAD system and CEUS.

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in Native Kidney Pathology: Limits and Fields of Action.

Gray scale ultrasound has an important diagnostic role in native kidney disease. Low cost, absence of ionizing radiation and nephrotoxicity, short performance time, and repeatability even at the bedside, are the major advantages of this technique. The introduction of contrast enhancement ultrasound (CEUS) in daily clinical practice has significantly reduced the use of contrast enhancement computed tomography (CECT) and contrast enhancement magnetic resonance (CEMR), especially in patients with renal disease. Although there are many situations in which CECT and CEMRI are primarily indicated, their use may be limited by the administration of the contrast medium, which may involve a risk of renal function impairment, especially in the elderly, and in patients with acute kidney injury (AKI) and moderate to severe chronic kidney disease (CKD). In these cases, CEUS can be a valid diagnostic choice. To date, numerous publications have highlighted the role of CEUS in the study of parenchymal micro-vascularization and renal pathology by full integration with second level imaging methods (CECT and CEMRI) both in patients with normal renal function and with diseased kidneys. The aim of this review is to offer an updated overview of the limitations and potential applications of CEUS in native kidney disease.

Focal Pancreatic Lesions: Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography.

The introduction of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) has led to a significant improvement in the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound in the characterization of a pancreatic mass. CEUS, by using a blood pool contrast agent, can provide dynamic information concerning macro- and micro-circulation of focal lesions and of normal parenchyma, without the use of ionizing radiation. On the basis of personal experience and literature data, the purpose of this article is to describe and discuss CEUS imaging findings of the main solid and cystic pancreatic lesions with varying prevalence.

Role of CEUS in Vascular Pathology.

In recent years, the implementation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in clinical practice has opened new horizons in the arterial pathologies research field, since this technique is able to supply new sets of data that can be crucial in patient management. The main applications of CEUS in the arterial system are the detection, characterization, and follow-up of carotid plaques and endoleaks after EVAR. Other situations in which CEUS was demonstrated to be a useful tool are large vessel vasculitis, dissections, and untreated aneurysms. In carotid atherosclerosis CEUS is not only able to acquire quantitative data about stenosis but also to perform a qualitative assessment of the plaque. The most important plaque features that CEUS is able to depict are ulceration, neovascularization, and the presence of inflammatory infiltrates. All of these factors contribute to plaque vulnerability. Thus, CEUS is crucial in order to allow better risk stratification and management of patients. In follow-up after EVAR, CEUS shows sensitivity and specificity values similar to CTA while ensuring several advantages, such as lower cost and the absence of ionizing radiation and nephrotoxic agents. Moreover, CEUS is able to offer real-time evaluation of endoleaks and thus is a useful tool in cases that are ambiguous on CTA. Most limitations are patient-related and are the same as in all other ultrasound techniques, such as high BMI and meteorism.

Prevalence and ultrasound patterns of testicular adrenal rest tumors in adults with congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

BackgroundTesticular adrenal rest tumors (TARTs) are benign neoplasms affecting patients with congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). The prevalence of TART in adult patients with CAH is not well known. Ultrasonography (US) is the main tool for diagnosing TART and the role of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) is never investigated. The aim of this study was to evaluate the TART prevalence in adults with CAH, by stratifying patients according to disease phenotype and assessing the diagnostic performance of US, color Doppler (CD) US and CEUS.MethodsMale patients >16 years old with certain diagnosis of CAH who underwent US for TARTs, between December 2015 and September 2019 were prospectively enrolled. The control group included patients without CAH affected by testicular lesions at US other than TARTs.ResultsTARTs were identified in 16 of 52 patients (31%), of whom 15 (93.8%) displayed the salt-wasting (SW) form (P<0.001). The prevalence of TARTs in patients with the SW form was 54%. One patient with the non-classic (NC) form (6%) showed TART (likely the first documented case). The mean age of patients upon detection of TARTs was significantly younger compared with the control group (P<0.001); moreover, TARTs were bilateral in 15/16 patients (93.8%; P<0.001) and the largest lesion was more frequent in the medium third of testis in the TART group (87.5%), statistically different from the control group (P=0.013).ConclusionsTARTs almost exclusively affected patients with the SW form of CAH. Age at diagnosis and bilateralism are useful factors for achieving a correct diagnosis of TARTs in CAH adult patients.