Voiding Urosonography Including Urethrosonography: High-quality Examinations with an Optimised Procedure Using a Second-generation US Contrast Agent

Overview

Journal Pediatr Radiol

Specialty Pediatrics

Date 2012 May 15

PMID 22580901

Citations 26

Authors

Carmina Duran

Javier Del Riego

Luis Riera

Cesar Martin

Carlos Serrano

Pau Palana

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: Voiding urosonography (VUS) is established as a technique for detecting vesicoureteral reflux in children.

Objective: To evaluate the quality of images of the entire urinary tract when using a second-generation US contrast agent and a modified VUS technique.

Materials And Methods: We evaluated 307 VUS examinations performed using SonoVue® in 591 pelvi-ureter units in 295 children of mean age, 27.1 (S.D., 42.5) months, with 154 (50.2%) of the examinations performed in boys; 58 children also underwent VUS using Levovist®. Three criteria were used for quality assessment of the bladder image: (1) progressive incorporation of contrast material in the bladder, (2) homogeneous bladder-filling to maximum capacity, and (3) visualisation of the posterior bladder wall.

Results: Criterion 1 was fulfilled in 305 (99.3%), criterion 2 in 304 (99%) and criterion 3 in 304 (99%) studies. In children who underwent VUS with both contrast agents, the concordance between the two techniques was moderate for findings in the bladder (Cohen K = 0.487; P < 0001) and perfect for findings in the male urethra.

Conclusion: By a modified technique we obtained high-quality images of the bladder with the second-generation contrast agent.

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