title: Enhanced detection of blood flow in the normal canine prostate using an ultrasound contrast agent.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the sonographic appearance of normal prostate vascularity in dogs before and after injection of a new ultrasound contrast agent, NC100100.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five intravenous injections of NC100100, in doses ranging from 0.00625 to 0.05 microL microbubbles/kg, were administered to seven anesthetized mongrel male dogs. Transrectal color Doppler imaging and power Doppler imaging were used to perform the assessment. The visibility of the vascular pattern of the prostate was assessed, including dynamics of contrast inflow, blood flow symmetry, and duration times.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Before contrast administration, the vascular pattern was poorly visualized in all cases. After contrast injection, the visibility of the vascular architecture improved significantly for both modalities. Independent of the imaging method used, higher doses tended to be more effective than lower doses. Contrast kinetics in the prostate vessels was demonstrated with a mean time from injection of the ultrasound contrast agent to enhancement of the Doppler signals in the subcapsular arteries (+/-1 SD) of 13+/-3 seconds, and the ultrasound contrast agent reached the central periurethral veins 3 to 6 seconds later. A spokelike radial pattern of internal prostatic vessels observed with enhanced ultrasound could also be seen on silicone microfil x-ray images. The Doppler enhancement persisted for a mean time ( +/-1 SD) of 904 seconds (approximately 15 minutes) +/- 225 seconds and tended to increase with increasing dose.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  NC100100 significantly improves the detection of blood flow in the normal canine prostate and allows more accurate depiction of the vascular architecture of the prostate.
authors.affiliation: Department of Oncology, Radiology and Clinical Immunology, Uppsala University Hospital, Sweden.
authors.forename: E K
authors.initials: EK
authors.lastname: Hagen
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Forsberg
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Aksnes
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Merton
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tornes
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Johnson
authors.forename: B B
authors.initials: BB
authors.lastname: Goldberg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003287:Contrast Media; D004285:Dogs; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D007501:Iron; D008297:Male; D010087:Oxides; D011467:Prostate / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012039:Regional Blood Flow; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D005290:Ferric Compounds; D010087:Oxides; C069727:Sonazoid; D007501:Iron