Department of Radiology, Västmanlands Hospital Västerås, Västerås, Sweden.
Radiology, Department of Surgical Sciences, Uppsala University, Uppsala University Hospital, Entrance 70, 1st floor, S-751 85, Uppsala, Sweden.
Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol. 2024 Jul;47(7):1000-1008. doi: 10.1007/s00270-024-03758-1. Epub 2024 Jun 19.
The visibility of biopsy needles in contrast-specific imaging mode can be improved by priming them with an ultrasound contrast agent (previously demonstrated in a phantom model/ex vivo). The purpose of this study was to validate this priming method in a porcine in vivo model.
Using a small syringe, full-core biopsy needles were primed with sulfur hexafluoride, an ultrasound contrast agent, with non-primed needles serving as controls (n = 30 + 30). Liver punctures were performed in a porcine model following intravenous administration of the same ultrasound contrast agent. Needle visibility, both in their entirety and at the tips, was evaluated in split-screen mode using contrast-specific imaging and B-mode (low mechanical index). The assessment included quantitative analysis, calculating the contrast-to-noise ratio, and qualitative evaluation through structured grading by three radiologists.
After needle priming, the contrast-to-noise ratio was superior for the needle in its entirety in contrast-specific imaging mode (p < 0.001) and slightly inferior in B-mode (p = 0.008). No differences were observed for the needle tips in either imaging mode. Qualitatively, the needle visibility was deemed clinically superior after needle priming throughout in contrast-specific imaging mode (p < 0.001), whereas no clinically relevant differences in B-mode for either the needle in its entirety (p = 0.11) or the needle tip (p = 1) were observed.
In this in vivo porcine liver model experiment, priming biopsy needles with ultrasound contrast agent improved needle visibility in contrast-specific imaging mode but slightly reduced it in B-mode. These findings support the method's use for biopsies requiring target visualization in contrast-specific imaging mode.
通过用超声造影剂对活检针进行预充，可以提高对比特异性成像模式下活检针的可视性（先前在体模/离体模型中得到证实）。本研究的目的是在猪活体模型中验证这种预充方法。
使用小注射器，用六氟化硫（一种超声造影剂）对全芯活检针进行预充，未预充的针作为对照（n=30+30）。在猪模型中静脉注射相同的超声造影剂后，进行肝脏穿刺。使用对比特异性成像和 B 模式（低机械指数）以分屏模式评估整个针和针尖的可视性。评估包括定量分析，计算对比噪声比，以及三位放射科医生通过结构化分级进行定性评估。
在进行针预充后，在对比特异性成像模式下，整个针的对比噪声比显著提高（p<0.001），而在 B 模式下略有降低（p=0.008）。在两种成像模式下，针尖均未观察到差异。定性评估结果显示，在整个对比特异性成像模式下，针预充后针的可视性被认为具有临床优势（p<0.001），而在 B 模式下，整个针（p=0.11）或针尖（p=1）均未观察到具有临床意义的差异。
在这项猪活体肝脏模型实验中，用超声造影剂对活检针进行预充可以提高对比特异性成像模式下的针可视性，但在 B 模式下略有降低。这些发现支持在需要在对比特异性成像模式下进行目标可视化的活检中使用该方法。
