title: Single-centre prospective comparison between contrast-enhanced ultrasound and computed tomography angiography after EVAR.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as an effective alternative to CT-angiography (CTA) for endoleak detection and aneurismal sac diameter measurement in the follow-up after endovascular abdominal aortic aneurysm repair (EVAR).
  
  
  METHODS
  From January 2006 to December 2010, 395 patients underwent EVAR follow-up with both CTA and CEUS. The diameter of the aneurismal sac and the presence of endoleaks were evaluated in all the 395 paired examinations.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Bland-Altman plots showed a good agreement in aneurismal sac diameter evaluation between the two imaging modalities. The mean diameter was 54.93 mm (standard deviation (SD) ±12.57) with CEUS and 56.01 mm (SD ± 13.23) with CTA. The mean difference in aneurismal sac diameter was -1.08 mm ± 3.3543 (95% confidence interval (CI), -0.75 to -1.41), in favour of CTA. The number of observed agreement in endoleak detection was 359/395 (90.89%). The two modalities detected the same type I and type III endoleaks. McNemar's χ(2) test confirmed that CTA and CEUS are equivalent in endoleak detection.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  CEUS demonstrated to be as accurate as CTA in endoleak detection and abdominal aortic aneurysm diameter measurements during EVAR follow-up, without carrying the risks of radiation exposure or nephrotoxicity. Even if it cannot be proposed as the sole imaging modality during follow-up, our analysis suggests that it should have a major role.
authors.affiliation: Chirurgie Vasculaire, CHRU de Lille, INSERM U, Université Lille Nord de France, France.
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Perini
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sediri
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Midulla
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Delsart
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Mouton
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gautier
authors.forename: J-P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Pruvo
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Haulon
mesh_terms: D017130:Angioplasty; D017544:Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000628:therapy*; D001027:Aortography; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D003287:Contrast Media; D057867:Endoleak / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007472:Iohexol; D007479:Iopamidol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives*; D010743:Phospholipids; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color; D018617:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Pulsed
chemical_list: D003287:Contrast Media; D010743:Phospholipids; C420843:contrast agent BR1; C057937:iomeprol; D007472:Iohexol; D007479:Iopamidol; D013459:Sulfur Hexafluoride