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[Ultrasound contrast media for neurovascular applications]
G Gahn1, R H Ackerman, M R Candia
1Neurovascular Laboratory, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, USA.
Ultraschall in Der Medizin (Stuttgart, Germany : 1980)
|June 1, 1997
Summary
Ultrasound contrast agents show promise for improving neurovascular disease diagnosis, particularly in carotid artery and transcranial Doppler assessments. Larger trials are recommended to confirm their effectiveness in various neurovascular applications.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
- Vascular Medicine
Background:
- Ultrasound is a key tool for diagnosing neurovascular diseases.
- Current ultrasound methods face limitations like poor flow detection in carotid disease and restricted bony windows for transcranial Doppler.
- Ultrasound contrast enhancing agents offer a potential solution to these limitations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the utility of ultrasound contrast agents (Levovist, EchoGen, BY 963) in neurovascular applications.
- To assess the effectiveness of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in diagnosing carotid artery disease and transcranial Doppler findings.
Main Methods:
- Review of three small trials on contrast-enhanced colorflow Doppler for carotid disease.
- Analysis of preliminary investigational trials on contrast-enhanced transcranial colorflow Doppler.
- Evaluation of specific ultrasound contrast agents: Levovist, EchoGen, and BY 963.
Main Results:
- Contrast-enhanced colorflow Doppler may improve diagnostic yield in severe carotid artery disease.
- Contrast-enhanced transcranial colorflow Doppler has shown promising results in preliminary studies.
- The evaluated agents demonstrated potential in addressing specific ultrasound limitations.
Conclusions:
- Ultrasound contrast agents show potential for enhancing neurovascular assessments.
- Preliminary findings suggest effectiveness in carotid and transcranial Doppler applications.
- Larger clinical trials are warranted to establish the definitive usefulness of these agents in neurovascular diagnostics.