The role of contrast‐enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and guiding therapy of early cervical ectopic pregnancy

Abstract

We described the ultrasonic imaging characteristics of four patients with cervical ectopic pregnancy (CEP) and inevitable miscarriage (IM) with the gestational sac (GS) located at the level of the cervical canal discussed and analyzed them in combination with relevant data, such as surgery and outcomes. It was found that contrast‐enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) could provide a more accurate differential diagnosis of early CEP and IM than conventional ultrasound (US), thus providing more effective guidance for clinical therapy. In CEP, CEUS shows sustained annular hyperenhancement of the GS wall. However, CEUS shows nonenhancement or pedicle‐like enhancement in IM with the GS located at the level of the cervical canal.

Photoactivated Gas-Generating Nanocontrast Agents for Long-Term Ultrasonic Imaging-Guided Combined Therapy of Tumors

“…The common ultrasound imaging methods in clinics or hospitals include the grayscale ultrasonic (GSUS), Doppler ultrasonic (DUS), and contrast-enhanced ultrasonic (CEUS) imaging. − In particular, the DUS imaging method is used for guiding the navigation of a nanoparticle microswarm in real time, which is beneficial for active endovascular delivery . The CEUS imaging method has achieved various clinical successes, such as in the diagnosis of tumors, lymph node metastasis, diverse inflammation, acute kidney injury, etc. − In comparison to the GSUS and DUS imaging modalities, the CEUS imaging modality exhibits improved imaging resolution and sensitivity of the ultrasonic diagnosis, as it utilizes ultrasonic contrast agents, such as microbubbles (MBs), nanobubbles (NBs), etc., which enhance the echo-backscatter. ,− For instance, the use of submicron sized “NBs” ultrasound contrast agents enable realizing the early diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) through the specific accumulation of NBs within the pancreatic islets . In another study, MBs-based ultrasound contrast agents were injected intravenously to facilitate the transcranial imaging of the cerebrovascular flow at the micrometer scale through ultrasound localization microscopy .…”