Percutaneous thrombin injection under contrast-enhanced ultrasound guidance to control active extravasation not associated with pseudoaneurysm.

The technique of percutaneous thrombin injection (PTI) under contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) guidance for control of acute hemorrhage-active extravasation not associated with (pseudo) aneurysm is demonstrated in three cases: 1) massive spontaneous retroperitoneal hematoma in a patient with multiple comorbidities. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) showed extensive active extravasation, which was only partially controlled by transarterial embolization. CEUS was performed in the angiography suite. Contrary to unenhanced US and color Doppler (CD), CEUS confirmed persistent extravasation; CEUS-guided PTI was performed immediately thereafter. 2) Large rectus sheath hematoma in a patient on anticoagulant therapy. Contrast-enhanced CT and unenhanced US/CD could not definitely diagnose extravasation. CEUS clearly showed extravasation and was used for guidance of PTI. 3) Chest wall hematoma complicating central venous catheter placement in a patient with coronavirus on anticoagulant therapy. CD was inconclusive. CEUS was performed at the bedside, clearly showed active extravasation, and was used for guidance of PTI. In all three cases, post-PTI CEUS confirmed the absence of residual enhancement of the hematomas, and the hemodynamic status of the patients improved. PTI appears to be effective in selected cases of hematomas associated with active extravasation. In this context, CEUS may be the most suitable modality for guidance and for an immediate evaluation of the treatment effect.

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Using Intradermal Microbubble Sulfur Hexafluoride for Identification of Sentinel Lymph Nodes During Breast Cancer Surgery: A Clinical Trial.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Sentinel lymph node (SLN) procedures have gained popularity in early breast cancer thanks to the reduction of surgical side-effects. The standard SLN mapping procedure uses 99mTc-nanocolloid human serum albumin with/without blue dye; limitations include logistical challenges and adverse reactions. Recently, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using sulfur hexafluoride has emerged as a promising technique for SLN mapping. Our study aimed to compare the CEUS technique with the standard isotope method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: AX-CES, a prospective, monocentric, single-arm phase-3 study was designed (EudraCT: 2020-000393-20). Inclusion criteria were histologically diagnosed early breast cancer eligible for upfront surgery and SLN resection, bodyweight 40-85 kg, and no prior history of ipsilateral surgery or radiotherapy. All patients underwent CEUS prior to surgery and blue dye injection was performed in areas with contrast accumulation. After the experimental procedure, all patients underwent the standard mapping procedure and SLN frozen section assessment was performed. Data on the success rate, systemic reactions, mean procedure time, CEUS appearance, SLN number, and concordance with standard mapping procedure were collected. RESULTS: Among 16 cases, a median of two SLNs were identified during CEUS. In all cases, at least one SLN was identified by CEUS (100%). In six cases, SLNs were classified during CEUS as abnormal, which was confirmed by definitive staining in four cases. After the standard mapping technique, in 15 out of the 16 cases (87.50%), at least one SLN from the standard mapping procedure was marked with blue dye in the CEUS procedure. In our series, sensitivity and specificity of SLN detection by CEUS were 75% and 100%, respectively. CONCLUSION: CEUS is a safe and manageable intraoperative procedure. When compared with standard techniques, US appearance during CEUS may provide additional information when associated with histological assessment.

Abstracts of the 26th Congress of the Spanish Society for Surgical Research

The proceedings contain 57 papers. The topics discussed include: randomized study on the efficacy of negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) in the prevention of surgical site complications;assessment of the risk of urothelial cancer in the bladder and upper urinary tract with the identify study calculator: monocentric prospective study;correlation between radiological (PCIR) and surgical (PCIS) peritoneal carcinomatosis index (PCI);contrast-enhanced ultrasound in pediatric abdominal trauma;endoscopic and percutaneous management of an iatrogenic distal pancreatic fistula during vascular surgery;emphysematous pancreatitis: a rare complication of acute pancreatitis;management of obstructive jaundice in patients with periampullary tumors in a covid-19 pandemic situation;and design and study of different silk fibroin structures.

Multimodal ultrasound imaging with conventional B-mode, elastography, and parametric analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS): A novel approach to assess small bowel manifestation in severe COVID-19 disease.

The aim was to describe the small bowel morphology with conventional B-mode and elastography and additionally to evaluate dynamic effects of COVID-19 associated small bowel microvascularization using CEUS with color coded perfusion parameters.Thirteen patients with severe COVID-19 acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) were investigated. 13 patients required intensive care treatment with mechanical ventilation. Five patients required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) was performed by an experienced investigator as a bolus injection of up to 2.4 ml sulfur hexafluoride microbubbles via a central venous catheter. In the parametric analysis of CEUS, the flare of microbubbles over time is visualized with colors. This is the first work using parametric analysis of CEUS to detect perfusion differences in the small bowel.Parametric analysis of CEUS in the intestinal phase was carried out, using DICOM loops for 20 seconds. In 5 patients, parametric analysis revealed intraindividual differences in contrast agent behavior in the small bowel region. Analogous to the computed tomography (CT) images parametric analysis showed regions of simultaneous hyper- and hypoperfusion of the small intestine in a subgroup of patients. In 5 patients, the parametric image of transmural global contrast enhancement was visualized.Our results using CEUS to investigate small bowel affection in COVID-19 suggest that in severe COVID-19 ARDS systemic inflammation and concomitant micro embolisms may lead to disruption of the epithelial barrier of the small intestine.This is the first study using parametric analysis of CEUS to evaluate the extent of small bowel involvement in severe COVID-19 disease and to detect microemboli. In summary, we show that in COVID-19 the small bowel may also be an important interaction site. This is in line with the fact that enterocytes have been shown to a plenitude of angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE)-2 receptors as entry sites of the virus.

Effects of Organizational Atmosphere and Organizational Practice on Knowledge, Attitude, and Practice Toward Diffusion and Utilization of Hepatic Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Among Physicians.

Background: Promoting technology diffusion and utilization is a key measure to address the great disparity in technical capacity within integrated health systems. However, even the effectiveness and appropriateness regarding technology has been widely recognized, its diffusion and utilization are still stagnant. The mechanisms that influence the technology from being recognized to being widely applied in practice remain largely unknown. Purpose: Taking hepatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as an example, this study aimed to investigate the comprehensive influencing mechanism of organizational atmosphere and organizational practice on the knowledge, attitude, and practice toward diffusion and utilization of hepatic CEUS in the medical alliance. Methods: Based on the integration of organizational ready for change (ORC) and knowledge-attitude-practice (KAP), a structured questionnaire was developed. A multistage random sampling method was applied to investigate physicians who directly use CEUS working at the liver disease-related departments of sampled health institutions. Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to verify the proposed hypotheses, and determine the relationship between the factors. Results: In total, 292 physicians were included. SEM results demonstrated that knowledge influenced both attitude and practice, while attitude positively predicted practice. Organizational practice and organizational atmosphere associated positively with each other. Organizational atmosphere positively affected the physicians' attitude toward CEUS diffusion and utilization (ß = 0.425, p < 0.001), while organizational practice positively affected corresponding knowledge (ß = 0.423, p < 0.001) and practice (ß = 0.275, p < 0.001). Additionally, there was a partial mediating effect between organizational practice and physicians' CEUS diffusion and utilization behavior. Conclusion: By verifying the influencing mechanism of organizational atmosphere and organizational practice on the physicians' KAP of hepatic CEUS diffusion and utilization, this study benefit tailoring strategies for promoting technology diffusion and utilization within medical alliance. It is recommended to develop an organizational atmosphere of advocating technology innovation, establish organizational support mechanism (SM) with multiple concrete supporting countermeasures, and so on.

LI-RADS ancillary features on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.

The Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) was created to standardize liver imaging in patients at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and it uses a diagnostic algorithm to assign categories that reflect the relative probability of HCC, non-HCC malignancies, or benign focal liver lesions. In addition to major imaging features, ancillary features (AFs) are used by radiologists to refine the categorization of liver nodules. In the present document, we discuss and explain the application of AFs currently defined within the LI-RADS guidelines. We also explore possible additional AFs visible on contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS). Finally, we summarize the management of CEUS LI-RADS features, including the role of current and potential future AFs.

The use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in COVID-19 lung imaging.

Lung ultrasound has become an essential tool for rapid bedside assessment in critically unwell patients, proving helpful in assessment of COVID-19 due to logistics of cross-sectional imaging. Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) further characterizes sonographic features of COVID-19 as multiple areas of infarction, a finding not reproducible on other widely available imaging modalities. CEUS also has the benefit of being cheap, radiation-free, without risk of nephrotoxicity, and can be performed at the bedside. It is predicted that lung CEUS in COVID-19 may help guide prognosis and management. We describe three cases of CEUS in COVID-19.

COVID-19 as a Vascular Disease: Lesson Learned from Imaging and Blood Biomarkers.

COVID-19, a disease initially thought to be prominently an interstitial pneumonia with varying degrees of severity, can be considered a vascular disease with regards to serious complications and causes of mortality. Quite recently, blood clots have emerged as the common factor unifying many of the symptoms initially attributed without an explanation to COVID-19. Cardiovascular biomarkers and particularly, D-dimer and troponin appear to be very powerful prognostic markers, signaling the need for earlier and more aggressive interventions and treatments in order to avoid and/or minimize arterial/venous thromboembolism and myocardial infarct. The ultrasound imaging patterns at both the lung and peripheral vascular level can also be very useful weapons that have the advantage of being able to monitor longitudinally the clinical picture, something that real-time PCR/nasopharyngeal swab is not able to do and that CT can only pursue with significant radiation exposure. A lesson learned in the early phase of the COVID-19 pandemic suggests quitting and starting again with targeted imaging and blood vascular biomarkers.

Contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to assess pleural pulmonal changes in severe COVID-19 infection: First results.

AIM: Use of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in severe cases of COVID-19 infection to assess pulmonary changes near the pleura. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bedside examinations by an experienced intensive care unit examiner using a multi-frequency probe (C1-6 MHz) with B-mode and CEUS to assess pleural-near changes in severe cases of COVID-19 infection with respiratory failure. CEUS with bolus delivery via a central venous catheter of 2.4 ml Sulphur hexafluoride microbubbles from the arterial phase (10-15 s) to the late phase of 5 min. Digital storage of cine sequences of the lung sound with abdomen for independent assessment with the subsequently performed contrast-enhanced dual-source CT. RESULTS: In 11 intubated and ventilated patients (arithmetic mean 62 years, 48 to 78 years, 3 women) with confirmed severe COVID-19 infections, a peripherally accentuated consolidation with irregular hyperemia was found in the CEUS and also in the CT examination. Of the 5 cases with pulmonary arterial embolisms, signs of right ventricular failure were found. In all cases, using CEUS low perfused areas of the pleura with adjacent hyperemia could be detected, while, with CT segmental contrast medium, gaps with subpleural compressions were found. Interstitial changes near the pleura led to B-lines and to ground glass opacities in the CT. Near the diaphragm a delayed arterial contrast of the liver was observed. In addition, in 2 cases partial atelectasis, in 3 cases marginal pleural effusions were found. CONCLUSION: CEUS opens up new possibilities for bedside monitoring of pleural reactive inflammatory or peripheral thrombus embolism in severe cases of COVID-19 infection.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Patients With COVID-19: Pneumonia, Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome, or Something Else?

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) represents a very heterogeneous disease. Some aspects of COVID-19 pneumonia question the real nature of ground glass opacities and its consolidative lesions. It has been hypothesized that COVID-19 lung involvement could represent not only a viral effect but also an immune response induced by the infection, causing epithelial/endothelial lesions and coagulation disorders. We report 3 cases of COVID-19 pneumonia in which contrast-enhanced ultrasound was suggestive of consolidations with perfusion defects, at least in part caused by ischemic or necrotic changes and not only by inflammatory or atelectasis events.

Contrast enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) to detect abdominal microcirculatory disorders in severe cases of COVID-19 infection: First experience.

In the hands of experienced examiners, the contrast enhanced sonography (CEUS) offers the possibility to analyze dynamic microcirculatory disturbances in real time dynamically without any risk for kidneys and thyroid gland even in severe progressing disease bedside. Based on severe COVID-19 infections, first experiences with abdominal CEUS examinations are presented. In the stage of an imminent organ failure with significantly reduced kidney and liver function, CEUS can be used to show a narrowing of the organ-supplying arteries, as well as a delayed capillary filling of vessels near the capsule, a regional reduced parenchymal perfusion or an inflammatory hyperemia with capillary hypercirculation. It is possible to quickly rule out organ infarction and to dynamically record the mesenteric arterial and venous blood flow.