Dodecafluoropentane ultrasonic contrast enhancement in carotid diagnosis: preliminary results.

To assess the efficacy in carotid diagnosis of an investigational dodecafluoropentane ultrasonic contrast enhancing agent, we compared B‐mode, color flow, and duplex Doppler findings in 16 patients with common carotid artery bifurcation disease after dodecafluoropentane and saline injections. Dodecafluoropentane produced enhanced backscatter in all patients for 4 to 20 min (mean, 8.4+/‐4.74 min) after intravenous injection. In six patients this enhancement improved the color flow and pulsed Doppler signal detection in areas of sonographic shadowing. The enhanced color flow information changed the diagnostic impression in one case. Dodecafluoropentane produced enhanced backscatter in the carotid artery in all patients, and for a mean duration longer than that reported for other agents. It has the potential to improve the efficacy of carotid ultrasonic evaluation.

[1]  H. Reichmann,et al.  Contrast-enhanced transcranial color-coded duplexsonography in stroke patients with limited bone windows. , 2000, AJNR. American journal of neuroradiology.

[2]  H. Przuntek,et al.  Contrast-enhanced transcranial color-coded real-time sonography: a reliable tool for the diagnosis of middle cerebral artery trunk occlusion in patients with insufficient temporal bone window. , 1998, Stroke.

[3]  R. Müri,et al.  Contrast-enhanced transcranial color-coded duplex sonography in ischemic cerebrovascular disease. , 1997, Stroke.

[4]  M. Kaps,et al.  Harmonic imaging of the vertebrobasilar system. , 1997, Stroke.

[5]  T. Porter,et al.  Improved myocardial contrast with second harmonic transient ultrasound response imaging in humans using intravenous perfluorocarbon-exposed sonicated dextrose albumin. , 1996, Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

[6]  J. Correas,et al.  EchoGen emulsion: a new ultrasound contrast agent based on phase shift colloids. , 1996, Clinical radiology.

[7]  S. Renowden,et al.  Pictorial review: MR imaging of neuronal migration anomalies. , 1996, Clinical radiology.

[8]  M. Kaps,et al.  Phase I: transcranial echo contrast studies in healthy volunteers. , 1995, Stroke.

[9]  S. Otis,et al.  Contrast-enhanced transcranial imaging. Results of an American phase-two study. , 1995, Stroke.

[10]  U. Bogdahn,et al.  Vascularization of primary central nervous system tumors: detection with contrast-enhanced transcranial color-coded real-time sonography. , 1994, Radiology.

[11]  H. Steinmetz,et al.  Usefulness of an intravenous contrast medium in the characterization of high-grade internal carotid stenosis with color Doppler-assisted duplex imaging. , 1994, Stroke.

[12]  R. Ackerman,et al.  Identifying clinically relevant carotid disease. , 1994, Stroke.

[13]  U. Bogdahn,et al.  Imaging of the vertebrobasilar system by transcranial color‐coded real‐time sonography , 1993, Journal of ultrasound in medicine : official journal of the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

[14]  U. Bogdahn,et al.  Contrast‐Enhanced Transcranial Color‐Coded Real‐time Sonography: Results of a Phase‐Two Study , 1993, Stroke.