Contrast-enhanced ultrasound: The evolving applications

Area of Science:

• Medical Imaging
• Diagnostic Ultrasound
• Radiology

Background:

• Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) utilizes microbubble contrast agents and specialized software.
• CEUS enhances visualization of micro- and macro-circulation for improved diagnostic performance.
• The liver's dual blood supply makes it particularly well-suited for CEUS applications.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the advancements and expanding clinical utility of CEUS.
• To demonstrate CEUS's efficacy in liver lesion characterization and malignancy detection.
• To explore novel and potential applications of CEUS in various medical fields.

Main Methods:

• Application of microbubble contrast agents with contrast-specific imaging software.
• Clinical evaluation of CEUS for focal liver lesions (FLLs), non-liver structures, and interventional guidance.
• Review of literature supporting CEUS utility in diverse clinical scenarios.

Main Results:

• CEUS equals CT and MRI for FLL characterization.
• CEUS is effective for liver imaging, malignancy detection, and treatment response evaluation.
• CEUS applications have expanded to gallbladder, pancreas, kidney, spleen, breast, thyroid, prostate, trauma, Crohn's disease, and endoleak detection.

Conclusions:

• CEUS represents a major breakthrough, significantly enhancing ultrasound's clinical value.
• CEUS is evolving, with ongoing development in intraoperative, intracavitary, and potential molecular imaging applications.
• The future of CEUS includes expanded clinical use and novel applications like sentinel lymph node detection and drug delivery.