Type:
Educational Exhibit
Keywords:
Abdomen, Ultrasound, Contrast agent-intravenous, Pathology
Authors:
A. P. Solano Romero1, E. Girela Baena1, C. Botía González1, J. R. Olaya2, C. M. Ortiz Morales1, E. Parlorio de Andrés1, I. CASES SUSARTE1, I. Vicente Zapata2, M. J. GAYÁN BELMONTE1; 1Murcia/ES, 2Murcia, MU/ES
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2018/C-2029
Background
Ultrasound is in many cases the initial imaging test to be performed before the suspicion of pathology,
because of its availability,
its immediacy and its innocuousness.
However,
it has an important limitation,
which is that in many cases its specificity is low and it is necessary to perform other imaging tests such as computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to assess the enhancement of the lesions,
tissues or vascular structures to reach the diagnosis.
The echographic contrasts have made the ultrasound take a leap qualitative,
since its use allows to demonstrate flow in the parenchyma,
vessels and injuries,
which allows to characterize and improve the detection of them,
and avoids in many cases carrying out more expensive or less innocuous tests that employ ionizing radiations or contrasts with greater side effects.
Ultrasound with contrast is an alternative to other imaging tests in the follow-up of patients and in monitoring response to treatments,
so it can be alteranted with the other imaging tests and in some cases,
replace them.