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Safety Profile of Musculoskeletal Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound with Sulfur Hexafluoride Contrast Agent
Christian Fischer1, Pierre Kunz1, Marten Strauch1
1Center for Orthopedics, Trauma Surgery and Spinal Cord Injury, Ultrasound Center, HTRG - Heidelberg Trauma Research Group, Heidelberg University Hospital, Heidelberg 69118, Germany.
Purpose:
Muscle, bone and tendon regeneration depend on the microperfusion of the corresponding tissue which can be quantified with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using sulfur hexafluoride contrast agent (SonoVue®). This study investigated the incidence of adverse events (AEs) in musculoskeletal patients and gives an overview of musculoskeletal CEUS applications.
Patients And Methods:
Based on 13 studies in a standardized monocentric setting, a total of 2268 CEUS examinations in 764 patients were performed and AEs due to the administration of sulfur hexafluoride contrast agent were classified as either mild, moderate or severe.
Results:
No fatal events occurred. AEs were reported in three cases, of which only one was classified as severe and two as mild. The total rate of all AEs was 0.13% and 0.04% for severe AEs.
Conclusion:
The present analysis confirms the safety of musculoskeletal CEUS using sulfur hexafluoride contrast agent with a lower rate of AEs than that reported for other contrast agents even in elderly patients with concomitant diseases.
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