Preliminary experience of contrast-enhanced real-time harmonic gray scale imaging in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the diagnosis value of contrast-enhanced real-time harmonic gray scale imaging in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis.Methods Sixteen patients with renal artery stenosis including 4 patients after stent placement were enrolled.Ultrasound contrast agent SonoVue was used.All patients were examined with conventional color Doppler sonography and real-time harmonic gray scale imaging.The diagnostic results were divided into three scales①no diagnosis result;②doubted diagnosis;③unequivocal diagnosis. The results were compared with those of digital subtraction angiography,CT and MRI.Results Unequivocal diagnosis were achieved in 50.0% (8/16) patients,doubted diagnosis in 31.3% (5/16),no diagnostic result in 18.7% (3/16) on conventional color Doppler sonography;the ratio was 81.3% (13/16), 12.5% (2/16), 6.2% (1/16),respectively on contrast-enhanced real-time harmonic gray scale imaging.The sensitivity,specificity and accuracy of conventional color Doppler scanning were 63.6% (7/11), 40.0% (2/5) and 56.3% (9/16),respectively;those of real-time harmonic gray scale imaging were 83.3% (10/12),100%(4/4) and 87.5% (14/16),respectively.Conclusions Contrast-enhanced real-time harmonic gray scale imaging depicts the margin of the vascular lumen and outer wall directly.Therefore real-time harmonic gray scale imaging may be more helpful in the diagnosis of renal artery stenosis.