Sensitivity Of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Research Articles

Comparison of the value of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in different sizes of thyroid nodules.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the presence of thyroid nodules of different sizes. We retrospectively analyzed 110 patients with surgically operated unimodular thyroid nodules in Yichang City Central Hospital from July 1, 2021, to April 1, 2023, all of whom underwent conventional thyroid ultrasound, CEUS, and US-FNAB, and all of whom were classified according to the size of nodules into <0.5, 0.5 to 1, and ≥1 cm groups. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, and specificity of the 2 methods for benign and malignant nodules were calculated. Among 110 thyroid nodules, 102 were malignant nodules and 8 were benign nodules. In patients with nodule diameters <1 cm the sensitivity of US-FNAB and CEUS was 87.02% and 93.89%, respectively, and the specificity was 100.00% and 66.67%, with an accuracy of 87.31% and 93.28%, respectively. In patients with nodule diameter <0.5 cm, the sensitivities of US-FNAB and CEUS were 74.29% and 100.00%, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05); in patients with nodule diameter 0.5 to 1 cm, the sensitivities of US-FNAB and CEUS were 79.59% and 95.92%, respectively, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05); among patients with nodule diameters ≥1 cm, the sensitivities of US-FNAB and CEUS were 88.89% and 77.78%, respectively, with no statistically significant difference (P > 0.05). For thyroid nodules ≤1 cm in diameter, the sensitivity of CEUS examination was higher than that of US-FNAB; and CEUS still has good diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules <0.5 cm, CEUS is recommended for thyroid nodules diagnosed negatively by US-FNAB with a diameter of <1 cm; and CEUS should be preferred for thyroid nodules with a diameter of <0.5 cm. CEUS should be preferred for thyroid nodules <0.5 cm in diameter.

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 &gt; 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.

Diagnostic Performance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and High-Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging for Carotid Atherosclerotic Plaques: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

The aim of this meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (HR-MRI) in patients with carotid vulnerable plaques. A systematic review was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science using the search terms carotid artery, atherosclerotic plaque, CEUS, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, HR-MRI, and high-resolution magnetic resonance. Studies published since the establishment of the library until December 2021 were retrieved. The statistical analyses were performed with Meta-DiSc version 1.4. Beyond that, the potential sources of heterogeneity for CEUS and HR-MRI were explored. Nine articles were included in this study. For CEUS, the pooled sensitivity and specificity for detecting carotid vulnerable plaques 91% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 84%, 95%) and 67% (95% CI: 54%, 79%), respectively. For HR-MRI, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 78% (95% CI: 72%, 83%) and 65% (95% CI, 56%, 73%), respectively. The area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve for CEUS and HR-MRI were 0.9218 and 0.8129, respectively. However, the difference in diagnostic accuracy between CEUS and HR-MRI diagnostic accuracy was not statistically significant. The study shows that the sensitivity of CEUS was higher than that of HR-MRI, and the specificity was similar to HR-MRI. CEUS and HR-MRI provide a similar diagnostic yield in detecting a vulnerable plaque. Thus, CEUS may be a useful tool for the diagnosis of carotid vulnerable plaques.

Application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in preoperative localization of microwave ablation for primary hyperparathyroidism.

Ultrasonography (US) and 99m Technetium-sestamibi scintigraphy (99m Tc-MIBI) are currently first-line imaging modalities to localize parathyroid adenomas with sensitivities of 80% and 84%, respectively. Therefore, finding other modalities to further improve the diagnostic accuracy for preoperative localization is critically needed. To evaluate the application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the preoperative localization of microwave ablation (MWA) for primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT). Between December 2012 and May 2021, 100 PHPT patients (34 males and 66 females; mean age, 56.31±13.43 years; age range, 25-85 years) with 130 suspected parathyroid nodules were enrolled. US, CEUS, and 99m Tc-MIBI were performed for the localization of pathological parathyroid glands. All patients were performed MWA under ultrasound guidance. All the suspected parathyroid nodules underwent core needle biopsy under ultrasound guidance during MWA to confirm the pathology. The diagnostic performance of all the imaging tests was analyzed in comparison with the pathological results. A total of 130 nodules suspected to be of parathyroid origin from preoperative localization images were confirmed by pathological results, of which 116 were of parathyroid origin, and 14 were not of parathyroid origin. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and the area under receiver operating characteristic curve of CEUS in the localization of pathological parathyroid glands were 100%, 92.86%, 99.23%, and 0.964, which were significantly higher than those of US (93.10%, 42.86%, 87.69%, and 0.680) and 99m Tc-MIBI (81.90%, 42.86%, 77.69%, and 0.624) (p<0.05). The sensitivity and accuracy of CEUS were 100% and 97.22%, which were higher than those of 99m Tc-MIBI (65.62% and 63.89%) or US (75.00% and 72.22%) in patients with multiple parathyroid glands (p<0.05). For smaller parathyroid adenomas (≤2cm in diameter), the sensitivities of CEUS in locating hyperfunctioning parathyroid glands were 100%, which was significantly higher than that of 99m Tc-MIBI (73.68% and 84.31%, p<0.05). CEUS is a valuable preoperative localization method for PHPT patients performed MWA, especially for the patients with smaller pathological parathyroid gland and multiple glandular lesions.

Study on the Diagnostic Value of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Prostate Cancer.

Objective The aim is to study the different roles of single and joint application of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in prostate malignant tumors. Methods 72 patients with prostate masses who underwent CEUS and MRI examination in our hospital from October 2021 and March 2022 were enrolled in this research. The differentially diagnostic roles of CEUS, MRI, and CEUS combined MRI for prostate cancer was assessed on basis of pathological findings as the reference standard. The specificity and sensitivity of the joint application for prostate malignant tumors with various prostate-specific antigen (PSA) levels were also evaluated. Results The sensitivity of CEUS, MRI, and the joint application for prostate cancer were 72.1%, 74.4%, and 90.7%, respectively. Compared with single application, the sensitivity of CEUS combined with MRI was significantly higher. The specificity of MRI, CEUS, and the combination of the two for prostate cancer were 82.8%, 79.3%, and 89.7%, respectively, and the statistical differences for specificity were not found. The area under ROC curve (AUC) of CEUS combined with MRI in prostate malignant tumor diagnosis was obviously more than that of CEUS and MRI (P < 0.05). CEUS combined with MRI has relative high sensitivity in these patients with different levels of PSA. Conclusions Contrast-enhanced ultrasound combined with MRI can significantly improve the sensitivity and specificity of prostate cancer diagnosis so that patients can be better diagnosed in advance.

Systematic review and meta-analysis: diagnostic value of different ultrasound for benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Conventional ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) are commonly used in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. However, the value of the two methods in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules remains controversial. PubMed, Medline, EBSCO, Science Direct, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database and manual journal retrieval were searched from January 2000 to January 2022, to include research on conventional ultrasound or CEUS in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodule related clinical studies. Meta-analysis was conducted using RevMan5.3 and Stata Corp to analyze the sensitivity and specificity of conventional ultrasound and CEUS in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules with 95% confidence interval (CI) as indicators. Heterogeneity of the results was evaluated by Q test and I2 in RevMan5.3. Deek's method was used to evaluate publication bias. A total of 1,378 nodules were included in 11 literatures, including 535 malignant thyroid nodules and 843 benign thyroid nodules. Heterogeneity tests conducted for CEUS diagnostic sensitivity of the 6 included literatures indicated that there was no heterogeneity among the study groups [Q=2.05, degree of freedom (df) =5.00, I2=0.00%, P=0.84]. The combined sensitivity was 0.87, with 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.82 to 0.90. Heterogeneity tests on the diagnostic specificity of CEUS of the six included literatures suggested that there was heterogeneity among the different study groups (Q=14.27, df =5.00, I2=64.96%, P=0.01). The combined specificity was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.89). Heterogeneity tests performed on the sensitivity of five conventional ultrasound diagnosis articles revealed that there was heterogeneity among different study groups (Q=13.62, df =4.00, I2=70.64%, P=0.01). The combined sensitivity was 0.86 (95% CI: 0.78 to 0.92). Heterogeneity tests on the specificity of conventional ultrasound diagnosis in five included literatures indicated that there was heterogeneity among different study groups (Q=16.94, df =4.00, I2=76.39%, P=0.00). The combined specificity was 0.84 (95% CI: 0.75 to 0.90). There was no bias in the included literature. The sensitivity of CEUS in the diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules was slightly higher than that of conventional ultrasound, which provides a reference for the clinical diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.

Meta-analysis and systematic review of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in evaluating the treatment response after locoregional therapy of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a useful tool to assess treatment response after percutaneous ablation or transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the usefulness of CEUS in identifying residual tumor after locoregional therapy. PubMed, Scopus, and Cochrane library databases were searched from their inception until March 8, 2021, for diagnostic test accuracy studies comparing CEUS to a reference standard for identifying residual tumors after locoregional therapy of HCC. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) were obtained using a bivariate random effects model. Subgroup analyses were performed by stratifying the studies based on study design, type of locoregional therapy, CEUS criteria for residual tumor, timing of CEUS follow up, and type of standard reference. Two reviewers independently evaluated 1479 publications. After full-text review, 142 studies were found to be relevant, and 43 publications (50 cohorts) were finally included. The overall sensitivity of CEUS in detection of residual disease estimated from the bivariate random effects model was 0.85 (95% CI 0.80-0.89). Similarly, the overall specificity was 0.94 (95% CI 0.91-0.96). The diagnostic accuracy was 93.5%. The DOR was 70.1 (95% CI 62.2-148), and the AUROC was 0.95. Importantly, subgroup analysis showed no apparent differences in the diagnostic performance between locoregional therapy (TACE vs. ablation) and criteria used to define residual enhancement, timing of performing CEUS, study design, or type of reference standard. CEUS is a highly accurate method to identify HCC residual tumor after TACE or percutaneous ablation.

The added value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in evaluation of indeterminate small solid renal masses and risk stratification of cystic renal lesions.

To investigate accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to characterize indeterminate small solid renal masses (sSRMs), excluding lipid-rich AMLs, and cystic renal masses (CRMs) according to the proposed Bosniak Classification 2019 MATERIALS AND METHODS: CEUS of pathology-proven CRMs and sSRMs (without definite enhancement or macroscopic fat on CT/MRI), and CRMs with ≥18 months follow-up were retrospectively reviewed. Two radiologists blindly categorized CRMs according to new Bosniak Classification on CT/MRI. On CEUS, two other radiologists evaluated arterial-phase enhancement of sSRMs relative to renal cortex and categorized CRMs following new Bosniak Classification. Fisher's exact/chi-squared test was used to compare categorical variables, and Cohen κ statistics for inter-observer agreement RESULTS: A total of 237 patients had 241 lesions: 161 pathology-proven sSRMs (122 malignant and 39 benign), 29 pathology-proven CRMs, 51 CRMs with adequate follow-up. Arterial-phase enhancement < renal cortex predicted malignancy with specificity of 97.4% (38/39) (CI 85.6-99.9%), and positive predictive value (PPV) of 98.2% (54/55) (CI 90.4-99.9%). Inter-observer kappa was 0.95. In pathology-proven CRMS, sensitivity of CEUS vs CT/MRI was 100% (15/15) (CI 79.6-100%) vs 60% (9/15) (CI 35.8-80.1%) (p value = .002) and negative predictive value (NPV) 100% (2/2) (CI 17.8-100%) vs 25% (2/8 ) (CI 4.4-59.1%) (p value < 0.0001), with similar specificity (50%) and PPV- 88.2% (15/17) (CI 65.7-97.9%) vs 81.8% (9/11) (CI 52.3-96.8%) ( p value = 0.586). Bosniak Classification inter-observer kappa was 0.92 for CEUS vs 0.68 for CT/MRI (p value = 0.009). In our cohort, CEUS had high specificity and PPV to diagnose RCC in sSRMs excluding lipid-rich AML. CEUS had significantly higher sensitivity/NPV to diagnose malignancy in CRMs as compared to CT/MRI. • Once lipid-rich AML is excluded by the other modalities, sSRM arterial phase hypo-enhancement relative to renal cortex on CEUS yielded high specificity (97.4%) and PPV (98.2%) to diagnose RCC. • When applying the proposed Bosniak Classification 2019, CEUS showed higher sensitivity compared to CT/MRI (100% vs 60%), p value=.0024, in the stratification of cystic renal masses to diagnose malignancy. • CEUS may reduce the number of CT/MRI Bosniak IIF lesions by assigning them to either II or III/IV categories.

Возможности применения стратификационной системы O-RADS и ультразвукового исследования с контрастным усилением в дифференциальной диагностике опухолей яичников

Objective. To study the effectiveness of gray-scale ultrasound imaging (according to O-RADS) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of ovarian tumors. Patients and methods. A total of 100 patients with ovarian neoplasms were observed, in whom the diagnosis was confirmed by morphological examination. Patients were divided into two groups: group 1 (n = 67) met the O-RADS 2-3 criteria (low risk of malignancy), and group 2 (n = 33) met the O-RADS 4-5 criteria (intermediate and high risk of malignancy). Results. The mean age of patients was 32.7 ± 6.72 years. Sensitivity (Se) of O-RADS was 84.8% (95% CI: 80-88%), specificity (Sp) of O-RADS was 88.1% (95% CI: 85-91%). Sensitivity of CEUS was 90.9% (95% CI: 85-95%), specificity of CEUS was 92.5% (95% CI: 89-97%). In ROC analysis of sensitivity and specificity of CEUS, AUC = 0.895; in analysis of sensitivity and specificity of O-RADS, AUC = 0.744 (p ≤ 0.005). Conclusion. Given its high sensitivity and specificity, the O-RADS stratification system should be used in the interpretation of ultrasound imaging of any ovarian neoplasm. The CEUS can be used as an alternative to other, significantly more expensive contrast-enhanced imaging techniques, such as CT or MRI, in the differential diagnosis of “complicated” ovarian tumors. Key words: diagnosis, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, ovarian tumor, ultrasound, O-RADS

Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound as a Second-Line Diagnostic Modality in Noninvasive Diagnostic Algorithms for Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

ObjectiveTo investigate the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and its role as a second-line imaging modality after gadoxetate-enhanced MRI (Gd-EOB-MRI) in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among at risk observations.Materials and MethodsWe prospectively enrolled participants at risk of HCC with treatment-naïve solid hepatic observations (≥ 1 cm) of Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LR)-3/4/5/M during surveillance and performed Gd-EOB-MRI. A total of one hundred and three participants with 103 hepatic observations (mean size, 28.2 ± 24.5 mm; HCCs [n = 79], non-HCC malignancies [n = 15], benign [n = 9]; diagnosed by pathology [n = 57], or noninvasive method [n = 46]) were included in this study. The participants underwent CEUS with sulfur hexafluoride. Arterial phase hyperenhancement (APHE) and washout on Gd-EOB-MRI and CEUS were evaluated. The distinctive washout in CEUS was defined as mild washout 60 seconds after contrast injection. The diagnostic ability of Gd-EOB-MRI and of CEUS as a second-line modality for HCC were determined according to the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) and the Korean Liver Cancer Association and National Cancer Center (KLCA-NCC) guidelines. The diagnostic abilities of both imaging modalities were compared using the McNemar's test.ResultsThe sensitivity of CEUS (60.8%) was lower than that of Gd-EOB-MRI (72.2%, p = 0.06 by EASL; 86.1%, p < 0.01 by KLCA-NCC); however, the specificity was 100%. By performing CEUS on the inconclusive observations in Gd-EOB-MRI, HCCs without APHE (n = 10) or washout (n = 12) on Gd-EOB-MRI further presented APHE (80.0%, 8/10) or distinctive washout (66.7%, 8/12) on CEUS, and more HCCs were diagnosed than with Gd-EOB-MRI alone (sensitivity: 72.2% vs. 83.5% by EASL, p < 0.01; 86.1% vs. 91.1% by KCLA-NCC, p = 0.04). There were no false-positive cases for HCC on CEUS.ConclusionThe addition of CEUS to Gd-EOB-MRI as a second-line diagnostic modality increases the frequency of HCC diagnosis without changing the specificities.

Value of contrast-enhanced malignancy imaging features in secondary grade diagnosis of BI-RADS-US type 4 breast lesions.

To explore the value of contrast-enhanced malignancy imaging features in secondary grade diagnosis of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System for Ultrasonography (BI-RADS-US) type 4 breast lesions. After initial diagnosis by ultrasound, 124 BI-RADS-US type 4 patients with 130 lesions were examined by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and were classified again before surgery according to five contrast-enhanced malignancy imaging features: inhomogeneous enhancement, peripheral ring-like enhancement, expansive enhancement, internal filling defects, and surrounding radioactive convergence. Lesions with no contrast-enhanced features of malignancy were categorized as type 3; lesions with one, two, or three features of malignancy were categorized as type 4A, 4B, or 4C, respectively; and lesions with four or more indices of malignancy were categorized as type 5. The value of contrasted imaging features of malignancy in diagnosing BI-RADS-US type 4 breast lesions was analyzed. The accuracy of CEUS diagnosis for type 3 lesions was 93.8% (46/49), 76.9% (10/13) for type 4A, 71.4% (5/7) for type 4B, 75.0% (9/12) for type 4C, and 93.8% (46/49) for type 5 lesions. The sensitivity of CEUS in diagnosing malignant lesions was 90.4%, specificity was 83.6%, and accuracy was 86.9%. CEUS decreased the benign lesion biopsy ratio to 68.5% (46/67) and increased the diagnosis ratio of malignant lesions to 73.0% (46/63). CEUS can further optimize the classification of BI-RADS-US type 4 breast lesions and may provide a better reference basis for clinical diagnosis and treatment of those breast lesions.

Imaging of colorectal cancer liver metastases using contrast-enhanced US, multidetector CT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT: a meta-analysis

Imaging of colorectal cancer liver metastases (CRCLMs) has improved in recent years. Therefore, the role of current imaging techniques needs to be defined. To assess the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), multidetector computed tomography (MDCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/CT in the detection of CRCLMs. PubMed database was searched for articles published during 2000-2019. Inclusion criteria were as follows: diagnosis/suspicion of CRCLMs; CEUS, MDCT, MRI, or FDG PET/CT performed for the detection of CRCLMs; prospective study design; histopathologic examination, intraoperative findings and/or follow-up used as reference standard; and data for calculating sensitivity and specificity reported. Twelve prospective studies were assessed, including 536 patients with CRCLMs (n = 1335). On a per-lesion basis, the sensitivity of CEUS, MDCT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT was 86%, 84%, 89%, and 62%, respectively. MRI had the highest sensitivity on a per-lesion analysis. CEUS and MDCT had comparable sensitivities. On a per-patient basis, the sensitivity and specificity of CEUS, MDCT, MRI, and FDG PET/CT was 80% and 97%, 87% and 95%, 87% and 94%, and 96% and 97%, respectively. The per-patient sensitivities for MRI and MDCT were similar. The sensitivity for MRI was higher than that for CEUS, MDCT, and FDG PET/CT for lesions <10 mm and lesions at least 10 mm in size. Hepatospecific contrast agent did not improve diagnostic performances. MRI is the preferred imaging modality for evaluating CRCLMs. Both MDCT and CEUS can be used as alternatives.

Contrast enhanced ultrasound: comparing a novel modality to MRI to assess for bowel disease in pediatric Crohn's patients.

To demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of a novel imaging modality, contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), in evaluating for distal small bowel inflammation in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD), and compare this to concurrently obtained magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings. Pediatric patients diagnosed with or having suspicion of CD with small bowel involvement, whose disease merited imaging with an MRI, concurrently underwent imaging with CEUS. We assessed the ability of CEUS to demonstrate distal small bowel disease by evaluating wall thickness, enhancement pattern, mucosal disruption and pericolonic inflammation. Concordance between imaging modalities was then assessed. Twenty patients were recruited for the study, 16 with known CD, 3 with concern for CD, and one with known colitis, but unknown bowel disease status. Six patients (3 with prior diagnosis of CD, 3 without) had absence of bowel enhancement on both ultrasound and MRI. Eleven patients with findings of inflammation and enhancement on MRI also had concurrent evidence of enhancement on CEUS. Three patients who had no evidence of inflammation on MRI, with known CD, had prominent bowel enhancement on CEUS. One patient with known colitis, whom we enrolled to evaluate for small bowel disease, had no evidence on either MRI or CEUS, however CEUS showed significant fat stranding around the colon, supporting the diagnosis of CD. The sensitivity of CEUS to detect bowel inflammation when seen on MRI was 100%. In addition, CEUS may also have the ability to detect bowel inflammation, even in the presence of a normal MRI.

Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound Detects Endoleak after EVAR

Introduction - The major complications of endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA) include endoleak, stentgraft migration and increased aneurysm sac size with subsequent risk of rupture. Thus, EVAR requires lifetime follow-up. Contrast-enhanced computed tomographic angiography (CTA) is considered the gold standard in follow-up after EVAR. However, repeat CTA is potentially harmful due to accumulated radiation1; and the association between contrast agents and reduced renal function. Contrast agents used in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) are not nephrotoxic and CEUS has been reported to be able to detect endoleak after EVAR2. The aim of this study was to investigate the preciseness of CEUS vs CTA in follow-up after EVAR. Methods - Ninety-two patients (79 men) operated with EVAR for AAA between Jan 2013 and May 2016 was prospectively, consecutively enrolled. Mean age was 74 years (range 57 – 92). Follow-up was done with CTA and CEUS at one, six, 12 and 24 months. At each follow-up, CTA and CEUS were done the same day. The results from CTA were blinded from the operator doing CEUS and vice versa. A GE Logiq E9 ultrasound machine and an abdominal curvilinear 2-5MHz probe were used for the CEUS. The ultrasound contrast agent used in this study was SonoVue® (2.4ml dispersion intravenous bolus dose). The presence of endoleak was registered as a dichotomous variable and CTA was defined as the gold standard. Statistical analyses were done using crosstabs and chi-square tests (IBM, SPSS Statistics v24). Results - 236 paired CEUS and CTA were performed. In total, 48 endoleaks were documented on CTA. The overall sensitivity of CEUS was 89 % and the specificity 100 %. The number of endoleaks detected at one, six, 12 and 24 months postoperatively are listed in Table 1. At six months, five new endoleaks were found on CTA and two with CEUS. At 12 and 24 months, no new cases of endoleak were detected by either modality. In all four cases of endoleak detected on CTA but missed on CEUS, poor visualization on CEUS due to high body mass index (median 30.5) was reported. All cases of endoleaks were type 2.Table 1Number of patients with paired CTA and CEUS performed during follow-up and the sensitivity and specificity of endoleak detection by CEUSFollow-up, monthsPatients (n)Endoleaks on CEUS vs CTASensitivity (%)Specificity (%)17311/129210066813/1776100126312/1210010024326/6100100 Open table in a new tab Conclusion - In the present study, CEUS showed high sensitivity and specificity for detecting endoleak. CEUS may replace CTA in most patients during follow-up after EVAR.

Diagnostic accuracy of imaging modalities in differentiating xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis from gallbladder cancer

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic performance of radiological imaging in differentiating xanthogranulomatous cholecystitis (XGC) from gallbladder cancer (GBC). A retrospective analysis of the radiological imaging performed in patients who had pathologically confirmed XGC or GBC between December 2004 to April 2016 was performed. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of each imaging modality, and combined imaging modalities were calculated. A total of 218 patients (XGC =109, GBC =109) were identified; 19 patients received all of abdominal ultrasound (US), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography-computed tomography (PET/CT); 21 received four of these imaging examination types; 45 received three examinations; 58 received two examinations; and 75 received only one examination. The sensitivity and specificity of CEUS was 90% and 93%, respectively, higher than abdominal US (80%, 86%), CT (71%, 92%), MRI (75%, 90%), and PET/CT (55%, 90%) (all values respective). The sensitivity, specificity, NPV, and PPV of the US combined with CEUS were 91%, 90%, 94%, and 85%, respectively. Although the specificity of CEUS + CT and CEUS + MRI were 100% and 92%, respectively, the sensitivity of CEUS + CT and CEUS + MRI were both only 67%. The Abdominal US is not sufficiently accurate to confidently guide clinical practice, and CEUS showed better diagnostic performance than the other imaging modalities in differentiating XGC from GBC. The combination of abdominal CEUS and CT is helpful for differential diagnosis, as it indicates GBC with better specificity and PPV.

Evaluation of carotid plaque vulnerability by contrast-enhanced ultrasound and superb microvascular imaging

Objective To observe the plaque surface morphology and neo-vascularization within the plaque using superb microvascular imaging(SMI)and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS), and to compare the correlation and consistency of the two technologies based on making clinical diagnosis of symptomatic carotid artery plaque as the standard. Methods A total of 92 patients undergoing carotid ultrasonography in Beijing Tiantan Hospital from August 2016 to October 2017 were recruited, including 61 males and 31 females, aged(63.5 ± 7.7)years(range, 42-80 years.A total of 105 plaques were found.According to whether or not to have plaque-induced ipsilateral ischemic symptoms, patients were divided double-blindly into the symptom group and the non-symptom group.The features of plaque(including surface morphology and neo-vascularization)were recorded.The ultrasonographic findings were chi-squarely tested. Results There were statistically significant differences in the surface morphology and enhancement degree of CEUS between carotid artery plaque-induced ischemic symptom group and the non-symptom group(χ2=6.865, P=0.032; χ2=22.494, P<0.001). The SMI-detected surface morphology and neo-vascularization had statistically significant differences between the two groups(χ2=10.367, P=0.006; χ2=8.186, P=0.041). The correlations of plaque surface morphology(r=0.856, P<0.001)and diagnostic consistency(r=0.802, P<0.001)between SMI and CEUS were higher.In the symptom group, SMI-showed plaque fissures and small surface pitting were in 33.9%(20/59)of patients, and CEUS-showed plaque fissures and small surface pitting were in 25.4%(15/59)of patients.And SMI had a better detection rate of slight and irregular appearances on plaque surface.Taking the first grade of the plaque surface as the standard, CEUS showed a sensitivity of 42.4% and specificity of 80.4% for detecting symptomatic plaques, and SMI showed a sensitivity of 54.2% and specificity of 76.1%.The two methods had similar specificity, and SMI had a slightly higher sensitivity than did CEUS.CEUS and SMI had a good correlation of plaque neo-vascularization(r=0.802, P<0.001)and a moderate diagnostic consistency(r=0.539, P<0.001). Taking the enhancement level of 2 as the standard, CEUS showed a sensitivity of 75.8% and specificity of 67.4% for detecting the symptomatic plaque, and SMI showed a sensitivity of 58.6% and specificity of 69.5%.The two methods had similar specificity, and CEUS had a higher sensitivity than did SMI. Conclusions SMI and CEUS have a good consistency for detecting plaque surface morphology.SMI and CEUS are more correlated with plaque-induced symptoms than is two-dimensional ultrasound.The SMI has a higher display rate and repeatability than does CEUS for detecting the small fissures and the surface features of plaques.Compared with SMI-detected neo-vascularization, the degree of CEUS enhancement is more correlated with the symptoms.The specificity of CEUS and SMI is similar, and the sensitivity of CEUS is higher than that of SMI. Key words: Carotid artery thrombosis; Ultrasonography

Clinical use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound beyond the liver: a focus on renal, splenic, and pancreatic applications.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a relatively novel, but increasingly used, diagnostic imaging modality. In recent years, due to its safety, quickness, and repeatability, several studies have demonstrated the accuracy, specificity, and sensitivity of CEUS. The European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology has recently updated the previous guidelines from 2012 for the use of CEUS in non-hepatic applications. This review deals with the clinical use and applications of CEUS for the evaluation of non-hepatic abdominal organs, focusing on renal, splenic, and pancreatic applications.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of endometrial carcinoma: A meta-analysis.

The present study evaluated the diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in endometrial carcinoma (EC). Articles published until 31 January 2017 were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Elsevier, Springer and Google scholar, with the following inclusion criteria: i) The accuracy (sensitivity and specificity) of CEUS in the diagnosis of EC was evaluated; ii) a gold standard was adopted to treat and confirm EC, including surgery, histopathology and appropriate follow-up (as included in the meta-analysis); iii) the data allowed for construction of a 2×2 table of positives, false-positives, negatives and false-negatives. Pooled estimates of sensitivity, specificity, risk ratios and diagnostic odds ratios (DOR) were calculated in the present meta-analysis of the accuracy of CEUS in diagnosing EC. The summary receiver-operating characteristics (sROC) curve was also constructed. Among the 93 relevant articles, 7 studies were finally selected according to the inclusion criteria with a sample size of n=275. The pooled sensitivity of CEUS in the diagnosis of EC was 84% [95% confidence interval (CI), 0.78-0.88], while the pooled specificity was 90% (95% CI, 0.86-0.92). The positive likelihood ratio (+LR) of CEUS was 8.0 (95% CI, 5.9-10.8) and the negative likelihood ratio (-LR) was 0.18 (95% CI, 0.13-0.25). The DOR was 44 (95% CI, 26-77). The area under the sROC curve was 0.93 with specificity of 0.90 (0.86-0.92) and sensitivity of 0.84 (0.78-0.88) for the summary operating point. Moderate heterogeneity was observed for sensitivity, specificity and DOR with I2 values of 32.56, 34.68 and 41.2%, respectively. No significant publication bias was observed for the DOR of CEUS. In conclusion, the present meta-analysis indicates that CEUS is valuable in the diagnosis of EC. Additional clinical data and studies are still required to confirm these results and to further develop the diagnostic application of CEUS in EC.

Clinical cohort study of imaging evaluation and postoperative pathology of carotid vulnerable plaque

Objective: To evaluate the accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) scanning in identifying vulnerable plaque in carotid artery. Methods: The study included a total of 25 patients who suffered from carotid artery stenosis and underwent carotid endarterectomy from January 2016 to December 2017 in Beijing Tsinghua Changgung Hospital, School of Clinical Medicine, Tsinghua University. Preoperative carotid artery contrast enhanced ultrasound and High-resolution MRI were performed to all patients to determine whether the plaques were stable. All patients then underwent carotid endarterectomy, during which, plaques were completely removed. Biopsies were performed using HE staining and CD31, CD34 and SMA immunohistochemistry was used to identify the plaques properties, including the thickness and integrity of the fiber cap, neovascular endothelium, hemorrhage, and inflammatory cells in the removed plaques.The results of these tests were compared with the diagnosis through the pre-operative imaging. Results: Among twenty-five cases, the pre-operative CEUS revealed sixteen with unstable plaques and nine with stable plaques. Meanwhile the post-operation pathology confirmed seventeen cases with unstable plaque components. The sensitivity of CEUS in the identification of carotid vulnerable plaque was 88.2%(15/17), the specificity was 87.5%(7/8), and the overall diagnostic accuracy was 88%(22/25). The sensitivity, specificity and overall diagnostic accuracy of high resolution MR for vulnerable plaque identification were 83.3%(10/12), 71.4%(5/7), 78.9%(15/19), respectively. There were no significant difference between two groups(χ(2)=0.003, P>0.05). Conclusions: The sensitivity, specificity and overall diagnostic accuracy of the CEUS for vulnerable plaque identification are high.Therefore, CEUS is recommended as one of the pre-operative diagnostic method for unstable plaque in carotid stenosis.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound for the maximum diameter ≤2 cm metastatic liver cancer: compared with contrast-enhanced CT

Objective To compare the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) for the maximum diameter ≤2 cm metastatic liver cancer (MLC). Methods Sixty-nine pathologically diagnosed MLC patients (maximum diameter ≤2 cm) were retrospectively recruited. The lesion detection rate, diagnostic confidence and enhancement pattern of CEUS and CECT for MLC were analyzed. Diagnostic value of CEUS and CECT for MLC were evaluated and compared by using diagnostic test. Results The cases of 0, 1, 2, multiple lesions detected by CEUS and CECT in these 69 patients with ≤2 cm MLC were 0 case (0%), 41 cases(59.42%), 13 cases(18.84%), 15 cases(21.74%) and 9 cases(13.04%), 29 cases(42.03%), 13 cases(18.84%), 18 cases(26.09%), respectively. The positive cases detected by CEUS and CECT were 69 cases(100%) and 60 cases(86.96%) respectively, with a statistically significant difference between the two groups (P=0.006). However, for the detection rate of non-single-lesion cases, there was no statistical difference between CEUS and CECT (P=0.409). The cases showed typical manifestation in CEUS and CECT were 56 cases(81.16%)and 29 cases(42.03%)(P<0.001). The cases with diagnostic confidence level of 3, 4, 5 in CEUS were 3 cases(0.04%), 11 cases(15.94%), 55 cases(79.71%), and those of CECT were 19 cases(27.54%), 20 cases(28.99%), 20 cases(28.99%), respectively. The diagnostic sensitivity of CEUS and CECT for ≤2 cm MLC were 100% (69/69) and 85.51% (59/69), with statistically significant difference(P=0.001). Conclusions The lesion detection rate and diagnostic value of CEUS for the maximum diameter ≤2 cm MLC might be superior to that of CECT, but the detection rate shows no significant difference in the non-single-lesion cases. CEUS has important clinical value in the diagnosis of ≤2 cm MLC. Key words: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound; Metastatic liver cancer; Contrast-enhanced CT