title: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound of the feline kidney.
abstract: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound offers a noninvasive means of subjectively and quantitatively evaluating renal perfusion in cats with renal disease, or in renal transplant patients. In this study, we characterized the pattern of ultrasonographic contrast enhancement in 16 normal feline kidneys in eight cats using contrast-enhanced power Doppler and contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasound techniques. Mean time to peak contrast enhancement for the whole kidney was longer using contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasound (16.8s, SD 4.7s) than contrast-enhanced power Doppler ultrasound (12.2s, SD 1.8s). The time to peak enhancement for the cortex alone in contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasound was 13s (SD 3.2s), and for the renal medulla was 25.5s (SD 8.7s). The half time for washout of contrast agent was 39s (SD 14.5s) for contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasound. The pattern of contrast enhancement in these normal feline kidneys can be used as normal reference values for the evaluation of clinical patients. Contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasound may allow the differentiation between cortical and medullary perfusion patterns.
authors.affiliation: Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA. jen_kinns@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Kinns
authors.forename: Lilian
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Aronson
authors.forename: Joe
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hauptman
authors.forename: Gabriela
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seiler
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002415:Cats; D003287:Contrast Media; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007668:Kidney / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D014743:Videotape Recording
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media