We use cookies to understand how you use our site and to improve your experience. This includes personalizing content and advertising. To learn more, click here. By continuing to use our site, you accept our use of cookies. Cookie Policy.

Features Partner Sites Information LinkXpress
Sign In
Advertise with Us
GLOBETECH PUBLISHING LLC

Download Mobile App




Enhanced Ultrasound Superior to MRI for Diagnosing Certain Liver and Kidney Tumors

By MedImaging International staff writers
Posted on 27 Feb 2023
Print article
Image: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound vs. conventional ultrasound image (Photo courtesy of ICUS)
Image: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound vs. conventional ultrasound image (Photo courtesy of ICUS)

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a non-invasive imaging tool that is routinely used across the world to identify and characterize cancers, diagnose heart and vascular disease, monitor chronic gastro-intestinal diseases and therapy. Ultrasound contrast agents are administered intravenously to enhance the images produced by ultrasound scans, enabling the visualization of abnormal microvascular blood flow patterns in real time. Now, two new studies have revealed that CEUS is more accurate and reliable than MRI for examining certain liver and kidney nodules.

The two new studies were highlighted by the International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS, Chicago, IL, USA; www.icus-society.org), a non-profit medical society dedicated to advancing the medically appropriate use of CEUS to improve patient care and outcomes. In the liver CEUS study, which followed 196 patients for two years, the researchers found that CEUS scans are at least equivalent if not superior to MRI for evaluating these liver lesions, and CEUS should be the first investigation for nodules found on surveillance for liver cancer. The study showed that CEUS offers superior sensitivity when compared to MRI (81% vs. 64%) for the diagnosis of malignancy, without compromising specificity (92% vs. 93%). In addition, CEUS was more likely than MRI to reproduce and characterize the nodule found on screening (97% vs. 78.5%). The liver study represents the first prospective comparison of CEUS and contrast-enhanced MRI for assessment of newly-discovered liver nodules. Based on these findings, the researchers have called upon the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) to include CEUS in its liver imaging guidelines, along with MRI and CT. However, MRI still remains an essential tool for managing patients with malignant tumors, particularly for staging these tumors prior to treatment, according to the researchers.

“We found that CEUS is a better and less expensive first-step evaluation for newly-discovered liver nodules,” said Dr. Stephanie Wilson, principal investigator of the liver CEUS study. “CEUS found malignant or pre-malignant diagnoses that would likely have been missed or delayed if we had not used CEUS in these patients. In addition, CEUS quickly and reliably identified benign lesions and pseudo-lesions, sparing these patients the costs and risks associated with unnecessary downstream testing and procedures.”

Meanwhile, the kidney CEUS study reviewed clinical data over a 10 year period to assess the accuracy of CEUS diagnoses of benign kidney nodules in 341 patients. Their blinded analysis found that none of the CEUS diagnoses changed during that period.

“Our data confirm that when CEUS determines a kidney mass is benign, the mass is benign and no further follow up is needed - sparing the patient from unnecessary downstream tests, anxiety and costs,” according to Dr. Richard G. Barr, the lead author of the kidney CEUS study. “It is important to remember that ultrasound contrast agents do not contain iodinated dye and do not harm the kidneys, making CEUS the examination of choice for patients with renal insufficiency.”

“In addition, CEUS allows for improved visualization of enhancement patterns in real time, the thin slice thickness of CEUS allows for evaluation of small nodules, multiplanar imaging allows for improved visualization and confirmation of enhancement, and multiple doses may be used during the same examination to provide an opportunity to image the lesion thoroughly,” Dr. Barr added. “Further, due to radiation exposure associated with CT, we believe CT should not be used as the first line imaging modality for assessing cystic lesions that are most probably benign in character.”

Related Links:
ICUS 

Gold Supplier
Ultrasound System
FUTUS LE
Gold Supplier
Conductive Gel
Tensive
Portable DR Flat Panel Detector
VIVIX-S 1012N
X-Ray Generator
RF Series

Print article
Radcal

Channels

Radiography

view channel
Image: Intelligent NR provides high-quality diagnostic images containing significantly less grainy noise (Photo courtesy of Canon)

AI-Driven DR System Produces Higher Quality Images While Limiting Radiation Doses in Pediatric Patients

Ionizing radiation is a fundamental element in producing diagnostic X-rays, yet it's widely acknowledged for its cancer risk potential. Digital projection radiography, a vital imaging modality, accounts... Read more

MRI

view channel
Image: The researchers are using MRI-guided radiation therapy that pairs daily MRIs with radiation treatment (Photo courtesy of Sylvester)

AI Technique Automatically Traces Tumors in Large MRI Datasets to Guide Real-time Glioblastoma Treatment

Treating glioblastoma, a prevalent and aggressive brain cancer, involves the use of radiation therapy guided by CT imaging. While this method is effective in targeting radiation, it doesn't provide real-time... Read more

Nuclear Medicine

view channel
Image: A novel PET radiotracer facilitates early, noninvasive detection of IBD (Photo courtesy of Karmanos)

New PET Radiotracer Aids Early, Noninvasive Detection of Inflammatory Bowel Disease

Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, is an inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract affecting roughly seven million individuals globally.... Read more

General/Advanced Imaging

view channel
Image: Artificial intelligence predicts therapy responses for ovarian cancer (Photo courtesy of 123RF)

AI Model Combines Blood Test and CT Scan Analysis to Predict Therapy Responses in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Ovarian cancer annually impacts thousands of women, with many diagnoses occurring at advanced stages due to subtle early symptoms. High-grade serous ovarian carcinoma, which accounts for 70-80% of ovarian... Read more

Imaging IT

view channel
Image: The new Medical Imaging Suite makes healthcare imaging data more accessible, interoperable and useful (Photo courtesy of Google Cloud)

New Google Cloud Medical Imaging Suite Makes Imaging Healthcare Data More Accessible

Medical imaging is a critical tool used to diagnose patients, and there are billions of medical images scanned globally each year. Imaging data accounts for about 90% of all healthcare data1 and, until... Read more

Industry News

view channel
Image: Attendees can discover innovative products and technology in the RSNA 2023 Technical Exhibits (Photo courtesy of RSNA)

RSNA 2023 Technical Exhibits to Offer Innovations in AI, 3D Printing and More

The 109th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA, Oak Brook, IL, USA) to be held in Chicago, Nov. 26 to 30 is all set to offer a vast array of medical... Read more
Copyright © 2000-2023 Globetech Media. All rights reserved.