title: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound: A promising method for renal microvascular perfusion evaluation.
abstract: This article reviews the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in gauging renal microvascular perfusion in diverse renal diseases. The unique nature of the contrast agents used in CEUS provides real-time and quantitative imaging of the vasculature. In addition to the traditional use of CEUS for evaluation of kidney masses, it also emerges as a safe and effective imaging approach to assess microvascular perfusion in diffuse renal lesions, non-invasively. Although the precise CEUS parameters that may best predict disease still warrant systematic evaluation, animal models and limited clinical trials in humans raise hopes that CEUS could outcompete competing modalities as a first-line tool for assessing renal perfusion non-invasively, even in ailments such as acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology & Rheumatology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China.
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology & Rheumatology, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200072, China; Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Houston, Houston, TX 77204, United States of America.
authors.forename: Chandra
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mohan
keywords: acute kidney injury; chronic kidney disease; computed tomography; glomerular filtration rate; imaging; magnetic resonance imaging; microvascular perfusion; ultrasound