Value of contrast-enhanced sonography in the diagnosis of vesicoureteral reflux.

Background: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the urinary tract and bladder (ceVUS) is an alternative examination method to micturition cysturethrography (MCU/VCUG) for suspected vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) that is increasing in practice. The purpose of this review is to present the current value of ceVUS in the diagnosis.

Method: A systematic literature search was performed using the keywords "vesicoureteral reflux", "ceVUS", "VCUG" of the databases MEDLINE and Cochrane Library as well as a review of current German, European, and American guidelines on this topic.

Comments and illustrations of the WFUMB CEUS liver guidelines: Rare malignant hematological liver lesions.

Diagnosing rare hematological malignancies in the liver is often challenging owing to their infrequency, and confirmation generally necessitates histological examination. Due to the rarity of these lesions, there are limited data concerning their appearance on ultrasound and, specifically, contrast-enhanced ultrasound. In this review, we describe the pathological and ultrasound features of several hematological malignant liver lesions, including lymphoma of the liver and chloroma.

Diversity of current ultrasound practice within and outside radiology departments with a vision for 20 years into the future: a position paper of the ESR ultrasound subcommittee.

Ultrasound practice is a longstanding tradition for radiology departments, being part of the family of imaging techniques. Ultrasound is widely practiced by non-radiologists but becoming less popular within radiology. The position of ultrasound in radiology is reviewed, and a possible long-term solution to manage radiologist expectations is proposed.

New Technologies in the Assessment of Carotid Stenosis: Beyond the Color-Doppler Ultrasound-High Frame Rate Vector-Flow and 3D Arterial Analysis Ultrasound.

Atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery is the main cause of ischemic stroke, with a high incidence rate among people over 65 years. A timely and precise diagnosis can help to prevent the ischemic event and decide patient management, such as follow up, medical, or surgical treatment. Presently, diagnostic imaging techniques available include color-Doppler ultrasound, as a first evaluation technique, computed tomography angiography, which, however, uses ionizing radiation, magnetic resonance angiography, still not in widespread use, and cerebral angiography, which is an invasively procedure reserved for therapeutically purposes.

Endocavitary Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound.

Background: Ultrasound is one of the most important imaging methods in the daily routine. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has put ultrasound on equal footing with computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in many areas. Although ultrasound contrast agents are commonly administered intravenously, endocavitary application as performed in the case of iodine-containing contrast agents is also possible.

Concepts in the Establishment of Interdisciplinary Ultrasound Centers: The Role of Radiology.

Background: Ultrasound (US) is widely used as a fast and cost-efficient first-choice imaging technique without relevant side effects for a variety of diagnostic tasks. Due to technical advances, more complex and sophisticated methods such as color-coded duplex ultrasound, image fusion, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and ultrasound-guided interventions have become increasingly important in diagnostic algorithms.

Method: This study presents an overview of all aspects regarding the establishing of an interdisciplinary US center based on five representative examples in Germany.

Ultrasound 2020 - Diagnostics & Therapy: On the Way to Multimodal Ultrasound: Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), Microvascular Doppler Techniques, Fusion Imaging, Sonoelastography, Interventional Sonography.

Background:  Ultrasound as a non-ionizing imaging procedure is one of the most important diagnostic procedures in everyday clinical practice. The technology is widely used. Due to constant technical innovations, sonographic procedures, such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), sonoelastography, new microvascular Doppler modalities and, as an example of interventional procedures, sonographically controlled microwave ablation (MWA), are becoming increasingly important in diagnostic imaging and interventional medicine alongside CT and MRI.

Comparison of computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the evaluation of unclear renal lesions.

Purpose:  To compare the sensitivity and specificity of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the evaluation of unclear renal lesions to the histopathological outcome.

Materials And Methods:  A total of 255 patients with a single unclear renal mass with initial imaging studies between 2005 and 2015 were included. Patient ages ranged from 18 to 86 with (mean age 62 years; SD ± 13).

Clinical, ocular motor, and imaging profile of Niemann-Pick type C heterozygosity.

Objective: To characterize subclinical abnormalities in asymptomatic heterozygote mutation carriers as markers of neurodegeneration.

Methods: Motor function, cognition, mood, sleep, and smell function were assessed in 20 first-degree heterozygous relatives of patients with Niemann-Pick disease type C (NPC) (13 male, age 52.7 ± 9.

The EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations for the Clinical Practice of Elastography in Non-Hepatic Applications: Update 2018.

This manuscript describes the use of ultrasound elastography, with the exception of liver applications, and represents an update of the 2013 EFSUMB (European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology) Guidelines and Recommendations on the clinical use of elastography.

VTIQ and VTQ in combination with B-mode and color Doppler ultrasound improve classification of salivary gland tumors, especially for inexperienced physicians.

Background: Ultrasound is the method of choice for preoperative evaluation of masses of the parotid glands. However, existing methods do not allow for definite differentiation between the most common benign and malignant tumors.

Objective: Thus, we evaluated the benefits of Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ) and Virtual Touch imaging quantification (VTIQ) for improving preoperative evaluation of parotid tumors.

Does acoustic radiation force elastography improve the diagnostic capability of ultrasound in the preoperative characterization of masses of the parotid gland?

Objectives:: Ultrasound is the method of choice for preoperative evaluation of tumours of the parotid glands. However, existing methods do not allow for clear differentiation between the most common benign tumours and malignant tumours. The aim of our study was to evaluate if acoustic radiation force, Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ) elastography helps to improve the preoperative evaluation of parotid masses.

Dynamic CTA in Native Kidneys Using a Multiphase CT Protocol-Potential of Significant Reduction of Contrast Medium.

Rationale And Objective: The objective of this study was to assess an optimized renal multiphase computed tomography angiography (MP-CTA) protocol regarding reduction of contrast volume.

Materials And Methods: Thirty patients underwent MP-CTA (12 phases, every 3.5 seconds, 80 kV/120 mAs) using 30 mL of contrast medium.

Does Virtual Touch IQ elastography help to improve the preoperative diagnosis of parotid tumors: A prospective trial.

Background: It is difficult to assess tumors of the parotid gland preoperatively. However, it is essential for the surgeon to know which kind of tumor is present. Ultrasound is the method of choice, but there is still no reliable differential diagnostic tool for determining whether a tumor is malignant or benign.

Ultrasound elastography in diagnosis and follow-up for patients with chronic recurrent parotitis.

Purpose: Chronic recurrent parotitis (CRP) is a non-obstructive disease with episodes characterized by painful swelling of the parotid gland. It presents in both a juvenile and an adult form, with no clear information on its actual origin. Diagnosis is based on patient medical history and ultrasound examination but is frequently not correctly identified.

Prevalence and distribution of calcified nodules in carotid arteries in correlation with clinical symptoms.

Purpose: Calcified nodules ("CN") are responsible for up to 5% of coronary-infarcts and, therefore, classified as minor criteria of "vulnerable" atherosclerotic plaque. We sought to evaluate prevalence and distribution of CN in carotid arteries in correlation with clinical symptoms.

Methods: 178 consecutive patients with unilateral ischemic stroke and carotid plaques ≥2 mm by duplex ultrasound underwent a carotid-black-blood-3T-MRI with fat-saturated pre- and post-contrast T1w-, PDw-, T2w- and TOF images using dedicated surface-coils.

Reduced Periprocedural Analgesia After Replacement of Water for Injection with Glucose 5% Solution as the Infusion Medium for 90Y-Resin Microspheres.

Unlabelled: The primary aim of our study was to compare the need for periinterventional on-demand analgesia when water for injection (WFI) was replaced with glucose 5% (G5) for Y-resin microsphere administration.

Methods: Forty-one patients who received 77 radioembolization procedures with G5 (2014-2015) were retrospectively matched with 41 patients (77 radioembolization procedures) who received radioembolization with WFI (2011-2014) at our center. The need for on-demand pain medication was chosen as an objective and accessible measure of periprocedural pain experienced by patients.

In vitro study of physical properties of various embolization particles regarding morphology before, during and after catheter passage.

Objective: To evaluate various embolization particles on their physical properties with special regard on morphological variability and elasticity.

Methods: 8 embolization particles (EmboCept®, Contour SE® Microspheres, Embosphere® Micorspheres 400 μm, 500 μm, 1300 μm, Embozene® Microspheres, DC Beads®, Embozene Tandem®) were evaluated and graduated from 1-6 microscopically due to morphologic changes in vitro before, during and after their catheter passage by 4 blinded reviewers. To facilitate comparison, microscopic images were provided with a scale.

Reducing tumor growth and angiogenesis using a triple therapy measured with Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Background: To evaluate the in vivo response by detecting the anti-angiogenic and invasion-inhibiting effects of a triple-combination-therapy in an experimental-small-animal-squamous-cell-carcinoma-model using the "flash-replenishment" (FR) method to assess tissue hemodynamics via contrast-enhanced-ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods: Human hypopharynx-carcinoma-cells were subcutaneously injected into the left flank of 22-female-athymic-nude-rats. After seven days of subcutaneous tumor growth, FR-measurements were performed on each rat.

Determination of split renal function using dynamic CT-angiography: preliminary results.

Objectives: To determine the feasibility of a dynamic CT angiography-protocol with regard to simultaneous assessment of renal anatomy and function.

Methods: 7 healthy potential kidney donors (58 ± 7 years) underwent a dynamic computed tomography angiography (CTA) using a 128-slice CT-scanner with continuous bi-directional table movement, allowing the coverage of a scan range of 18 cm within 1.75 sec.

Visualization, imaging and new preclinical diagnostics in radiation oncology.

Innovative strategies in cancer radiotherapy are stimulated by the growing knowledge on cellular and molecular tumor biology, tumor pathophysiology, and tumor microenvironment. In terms of tumor diagnostics and therapy monitoring, the reliable delineation of tumor boundaries and the assessment of tumor heterogeneity are increasingly complemented by the non-invasive characterization of functional and molecular processes, moving preclinical and clinical imaging from solely assessing tumor morphology towards the visualization of physiological and pathophysiological processes. Functional and molecular imaging techniques allow for the non-invasive characterization of tissues in vivo, using different modalities, including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, positron emission tomography (PET) and optical imaging (OI).

In vivo monitoring of sorafenib therapy effects on experimental prostate carcinomas using dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI and macromolecular contrast media.

Purpose: To investigate dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (DCE-MRI) with macromolecular contrast media (MMCM) to monitor the effects of the multikinase inhibitor sorafenib on subcutaneous prostate carcinomas in rats with immunohistochemical validation.

Materials And Methods: Copenhagen rats, implanted with prostate carcinoma allografts, were randomized to the treatment group (n = 8) or the control group (n = 8). DCE-MRI with albumin-(Gd-DTPA)35 was performed at baseline and after 1 week using a clinical 3-Tesla system.

The carotid plaque imaging in acute stroke (CAPIAS) study: protocol and initial baseline data.

Background: In up to 30% of patients with ischemic stroke no definite etiology can be established. A significant proportion of cryptogenic stroke cases may be due to non-stenosing atherosclerotic plaques or low grade carotid artery stenosis not fulfilling common criteria for atherothrombotic stroke. The aim of the CAPIAS study is to determine the frequency, characteristics, clinical and radiological long-term consequences of ipsilateral complicated American Heart Association lesion type VI (AHA-LT VI) carotid artery plaques in patients with cryptogenic stroke.