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Harmonic versus conventional ultrasound imaging of the urinary tract in children

Ulrike Bartram1, Kassa Darge

  • 1Department of Paediatrics, University Hospital Wuerzburg, Wuerzburg, Germany.

Pediatric Radiology
|March 8, 2005
PubMed

Insights

Harmonic imaging (HI) significantly improves ultrasound visualization of the pediatric urinary tract, especially the bladder and kidneys from a dorsal approach. This new ultrasound method is a valuable tool for examining children.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Radiology
  • Medical Ultrasound Technology

Background:

  • Harmonic imaging (HI) is an emerging ultrasound (US) technique.
  • Its diagnostic value in pediatric populations remains largely undetermined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To assess the efficacy of harmonic imaging (HI) for visualizing the urinary tract in infants and children.
  • To compare HI with conventional fundamental imaging (FI) in pediatric patients.

Main Methods:

  • Ultrasound examinations of the bladder and kidneys were performed on 29 pediatric patients (2 months–12.8 years).
  • Both ventral and dorsal approaches were used with conventional imaging (FI) and harmonic imaging (HI).
  • Image quality parameters, including bladder wall, retrovesical space, renal contrast, pelvicalyceal systems, and corticomedullary differentiation, were evaluated.

Main Results:

  • Significant differences favoring HI were observed across all assessed parameters (P<0.003).
  • HI demonstrated superior performance compared to FI for all parameters with a dorsal approach (P<0.05).
  • With a ventral approach, HI significantly enhanced imaging of the bladder and renal pelvis (P<0.02).

Conclusions:

  • Harmonic imaging (HI) is a beneficial supplementary tool for pediatric urinary tract imaging.
  • HI particularly enhances the visualization of the bladder and kidneys when employing a dorsal approach in children.
Abstract

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