AIM： TO investigate the usefulness of 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography with the use of the contrast agent Levovist for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and for the evaluation of therapeutic response. ...AIM： TO investigate the usefulness of 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography with the use of the contrast agent Levovist for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and for the evaluation of therapeutic response. METHODS： Phantom experiments were performed to compare the contrast effects of 2^rd harmonic imaging and 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography. 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography was employed to examine 36 patients with HCC （42 nodules） before and after the treatment and to compare against the findings obtained using other diagnostic imaging modaUties. RESULTS： In 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography, the tumor vessels of HCCs were clearly identified during the early phase, and late-phase images clearly demonstrated the differences in contrast enhancement between the tumor and surrounding hepatic parenchyma. Blood flow within the tumor was detected in 36 nodules （85.7%） during the early phase and in all 42 nodules （100%） during the late phase using 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography, in 38 nodules （90.5%） using contrast-enhanced CT, in 34 nodules （81.0%） using digital subtraction angiography （DSA）, and in 42 nodules （100%） using US CO2angiography. Following transcatheter arterial embolization, 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography detected blood flow and contrast enhancement within the tumors that were judged to contain viable tissue in 20 of 42 nodules （47.6%）. However, 6 of these 20 cases were not judged in contrastenhanced CT. 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography was compared with the US CO2 angiography findings as the gold standard, and the sensitivity and specificity of these images for discerning viable and nonviable HCC after transcatheter arterial embolization were 100% and 100%,respectively. CONCLUSION： 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography permits the vascular structures of HCCs to be identified and blood flow within the tumor to be clearly demonstrated. Furthermore, 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography is potentially useful for evaluating the therapeutic effects of transcatheter arterial embolization on HCC. 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved展开更多
Objectives: To directly compare the quality of harmonic imaging (HI) and fundamental imaging (FI) in fetal echocardiography and to determine any differences in image quality between the two modalities. Methods: Feta...Objectives: To directly compare the quality of harmonic imaging (HI) and fundamental imaging (FI) in fetal echocardiography and to determine any differences in image quality between the two modalities. Methods: Fetal echocardiograms were performed with the use of FI and HI in 58 fetuses, image quality and visualization of left and right atria, left and right ventricles, mitral and tricuspid valves, aortic and pulmonary valves, left and right ventricular outflow tracts were evaluated and compared between FI and HI. Results: Mean HI scores were higher than mean FI scores (2.73±0.43 vs 2.16±0.69, P <0.001)for all the cardiovascular structures evaluated. Compared with FI, HI improved the image quality and visualization of fetal cardiac structures in subjects with both good (2.73±0.43 vs 2.88±0.32, P <0.001) and suboptimal (1.65±0.41 vs 2.58±0.47, P <0.001) echocardiographic windows. The interobserver correlation coefficient for the grading scores was 0.74 ( P <0.001). Conclusions: harmonic imaging enhances and improves the image quality of fetal echocardiography; and has important potential role in cardiac imaging in the fetus.展开更多
文摘AIM： TO investigate the usefulness of 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography with the use of the contrast agent Levovist for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） and for the evaluation of therapeutic response. METHODS： Phantom experiments were performed to compare the contrast effects of 2^rd harmonic imaging and 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography. 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography was employed to examine 36 patients with HCC （42 nodules） before and after the treatment and to compare against the findings obtained using other diagnostic imaging modaUties. RESULTS： In 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography, the tumor vessels of HCCs were clearly identified during the early phase, and late-phase images clearly demonstrated the differences in contrast enhancement between the tumor and surrounding hepatic parenchyma. Blood flow within the tumor was detected in 36 nodules （85.7%） during the early phase and in all 42 nodules （100%） during the late phase using 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography, in 38 nodules （90.5%） using contrast-enhanced CT, in 34 nodules （81.0%） using digital subtraction angiography （DSA）, and in 42 nodules （100%） using US CO2angiography. Following transcatheter arterial embolization, 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography detected blood flow and contrast enhancement within the tumors that were judged to contain viable tissue in 20 of 42 nodules （47.6%）. However, 6 of these 20 cases were not judged in contrastenhanced CT. 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography was compared with the US CO2 angiography findings as the gold standard, and the sensitivity and specificity of these images for discerning viable and nonviable HCC after transcatheter arterial embolization were 100% and 100%,respectively. CONCLUSION： 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography permits the vascular structures of HCCs to be identified and blood flow within the tumor to be clearly demonstrated. Furthermore, 1.5 Harmonic Imaging Sonography is potentially useful for evaluating the therapeutic effects of transcatheter arterial embolization on HCC. 2005 The WJG Press and Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved
文摘Objectives: To directly compare the quality of harmonic imaging (HI) and fundamental imaging (FI) in fetal echocardiography and to determine any differences in image quality between the two modalities. Methods: Fetal echocardiograms were performed with the use of FI and HI in 58 fetuses, image quality and visualization of left and right atria, left and right ventricles, mitral and tricuspid valves, aortic and pulmonary valves, left and right ventricular outflow tracts were evaluated and compared between FI and HI. Results: Mean HI scores were higher than mean FI scores (2.73±0.43 vs 2.16±0.69, P <0.001)for all the cardiovascular structures evaluated. Compared with FI, HI improved the image quality and visualization of fetal cardiac structures in subjects with both good (2.73±0.43 vs 2.88±0.32, P <0.001) and suboptimal (1.65±0.41 vs 2.58±0.47, P <0.001) echocardiographic windows. The interobserver correlation coefficient for the grading scores was 0.74 ( P <0.001). Conclusions: harmonic imaging enhances and improves the image quality of fetal echocardiography; and has important potential role in cardiac imaging in the fetus.
