No abstract

The efficacy of using subharmonic emissions from Sonazoid microbubbles (GE Healthcare, Oslo, Norway) to track portal vein pressures and pressure changes was investigated in 14 canines using either slow- or high-flow models of portal hypertension (PH). A modified Logiq 9 scanner (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI) operating in subharmonic mode (ftransmit:2.5MHz, freceive:1.25MHz) was used to collect RF data at 10-40% incident acoustic power levels with 2-4 transmit cycles (in triplicate), before and after inducing PH. A pressure catheter (Millar Instruments, Inc., Houston, TX) provided reference portal vein pressures. At optimum insonification, subharmonic signal amplitude changes correlated with portal vein pressure changes; r ranged from -0.82 to -0.94 and from -0.70 to -0.73 for PH models considered separately or together, respectively. The subharmonic signal amplitudes correlated with absolute portal vein pressures (r: -0.71 to -0.79). Statistically significant differences between subharmonic amplitudes, before and after inducing PH, were noted (p≤0.01). Portal vein pressures estimated using SHAPE did not reveal significant differences (p>0.05) with respect to the pressures obtained using the Millar pressure catheter. Subharmonic aided pressure estimation may be useful clinically for portal vein pressure monitoring.

MPCB is a rare rapidly growing tumor. US findings included gently lobulated, complex mass lesion with cystic parts and posterior acoustic enhancement, representing necrosis or hemorrhage. Increased color flow signals and relative high RI of the feeding arteries were also seen.