Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is effective for monitoring patients receiving endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) for abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAA), according to a study published in Radiology.
Using a technique that combines ultrasound with a second-generation contrast agent and contrast-specific software, researchers from the Hospital Clinic at the University of Barcelona found that CEUS could be a complementary tool for follow-up of these patients.
The study team, led by Dr. Rosa Gilabert, PhD, studied the method in 35 patients who received EVAR to see if CEUS could be an alternative to CT angiography (CTA) for routine surveillance of endovascular stent placement. CTA and CEUS studies were performed at one- and six-month follow-up and every year afterward for a total of 126 CT angiography and CEUS studies.
CEUS yielded 97% sensitivity, 100% specificity, and 99% accuracy for detecting endoleaks. The method allowed for correct classification of 26 of 33 endoleaks and did not miss any clinically important endoleaks, according to the researchers.
