The use of contrast-enhanced US in renal transplant: first results and potential clinical benefit.

Introduction And Purpose: Little use has been made so far of the intrinsic advantages of ultrasound (US) for quantifying tissue perfusion of parenchymal organs, that is, its high spatial and temporal resolution and immediate availability in any clinical situation. Since acute rejection of a kidney graft primarily involves the sub-capsular capillaries, early and detailed evaluation of blood flow in this area is highly desirable. Using a clinically established US contrast medium (USCM) of the second generation and improved US technology, we performed a study to investigate whether it is possible to adequately diagnose rejection after kidney transplant by evaluating the arterial inflow of an echo enhancer.