title: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) of lesions occupying renal space. Indications, limits, personal experience.
abstract: In focal kidney disease, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using 2nd generation contrast enhancement allows continuous dynamic assessment of the arterial, venous and late perfusion phases of the renal parenchyma, as well as of focal lesions. CEUS is particularly useful in cases of an uncertain diagnosis after the performance of unenhanced ultrasound (US) and echocolorDoppler (ECD) (e.g. dromedary humps, hypertrophic column of Bertin, outcomes of pyelonephritis), and for differential diagnosis of simple cysts with a suspicious appearance (e.g. cysts with a dense content, calcified cysts) and complex cysts of Bosniak types 2, 3 and 4. Instead, lesions shown to be solid at unenhanced US must be directly evaluated by computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), both to gain a panoramic view and because CEUS is often unable to reveal the precise nature of such lesions. In agreement with the literature, this experience (18 cases) confirms the utility of CEUS in the diagnosis of renal pseudolesions and complex cystic formations, reducing both the risk of radiation exposure and the use of the more costly CT and MRI methodologies.
authors.affiliation: UOS Ecografia, DSS12, Monopoli, ASL BA, Italy. mariapiavasti@gmail.com
authors.forename: Maria Pia
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Vasti
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003287:Contrast Media; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D007680:Kidney Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media