title: Contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography: assessment of revascularization flow in Legg-Calvé-Perthes' disease.
abstract: A total of 26 children (26 affected, 25 control hips) with Legg-Calvé-Perthes' disease (LCP) met the cooperation requirements for inclusion in the study using contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography for assessment of changes in the revascularization flow. Sagittal sonograms were obtained before and at the peak effect of an intravenously injected microbubble-based contrast agent. Overall mean peak enhancement ratios were greater for children with later onset of disease (>5.8 years old) than for those with earlier onset (< or = 5.8) (p = 0.02). The use of ultrasound (US) contrast agents improved depiction of proximal femoral vascularity in all regions of the femoral head: epiphysis (n = 3, pre; n = 8, postcontrast), physis (n = 12, pre; n = 21, postcontrast) and metaphysis (n = 6, pre; n = 8, postcontrast) and resulted in a marked increase in the number of mean pixel intensity values within the physis (p = 0.02). In conclusion, contrast-enhanced power Doppler sonography is an effective method for demonstration of changes from the revascularization process in LCP, particularly within the physis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Diagnostic Imaging of Heart Institute-InCor, University of São Paulo, Brazil. andrea.doria@sickkids.ca
authors.forename: Andrea S
authors.initials: AS
authors.lastname: Doria
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Guarniero
authors.forename: Fabiano G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Cunha
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Modena
authors.forename: Rui M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: De Godoy
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Luzo
authors.forename: Raul Boelliger
authors.initials: RB
authors.lastname: Neto
authors.forename: Laszlo J
authors.initials: LJ
authors.lastname: Molnar
authors.forename: Giovanni G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Cerri
mesh_terms: D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D005270:Femur Head / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007873:Legg-Calve-Perthes Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008863:Microspheres; D015588:Observer Variation; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media