Ultrasound contrast agents show promise for detecting and evaluating uterine disorders and prostate cancers, according to research presented at the annual Advances in Contrast Ultrasound meeting in Chicago.
Massimo Mischi, PhD, of the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands, described the use of ultrasound contrast agents with AI and an imaging technique known as contrast-enhanced ultrasound dispersion imaging (CUDI) to produce 3D and 4D datasets that are as good as MRI imaging.
"This technology is relatively cheap, automated, and not operator-dependent," Mischi said.
In further research highlighted at the meeting, Jordan Strom, MD, of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston shared study findings that indicate ultrasound-enhancing agents can improve the accuracy and reliability of a standard echocardiogram performed to evaluate heart disease. He recommended that sonographers be trained to place IVs and administer the ultrasound agent.
"Getting the right diagnosis upfront can reduce costly downstream testing, and when UEAs are used efficiently, hospitals will save money," Strom said in a statement released by the International Contrast Ultrasound Society. "With every 10 minutes shaved off the time it takes to administer the scans, there are significant cost savings."
