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Computerized contrast angiosonography: a new diagnostic tool for the urologist?
O Reichelt1, H Wunderlich, T Weirich
1Department of Urology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany. olaf.reichelt@med.uni-jena.de
BJU International
|July 12, 2001
Summary
Echo-enhanced ultrasonography shows promise for diagnosing renal cell carcinoma (RCC) by analyzing tumor vascularization. This advanced ultrasound technique offers diagnostic potential comparable to computed tomography (CT).
Area of Science:
- Medical imaging
- Radiology
- Oncology
Background:
- Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) diagnosis relies on imaging.
- Accurate depiction of tumor vascularization is crucial for RCC staging and treatment planning.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess echo-enhanced ultrasonography (US) for diagnosing renal cell carcinoma (RCC).
- To compare the diagnostic potential of US with triphasic helical computed tomography (CT) in evaluating RCC vascularization patterns and first-pass effect.
Main Methods:
- Sixty patients with confirmed RCC underwent B-mode and power Doppler US with an echo-enhancing agent.
- First-pass effect and enhancement patterns within tumors and normal renal cortex were analyzed using mean pixel intensity and time-intensity curves.
Main Results:
- B-mode US delineated all tumors (mean size 3.8 cm).
- Echo-enhanced US revealed varied perfusion patterns in RCC compared to normal cortex (decreased in 48%, increased in 16%, similar in 36%).
- US findings correlated well with CT-based Hounsfield classification of tumor vascularity.
Conclusions:
- Echo-enhanced ultrasonography, utilizing harmonic imaging and computer analysis, demonstrates significant potential for diagnosing RCC.
- Dynamic US studies are expected to yield diagnostic results comparable to CT for RCC evaluation.