Assignment topic ; contrast media role in ultrasound

Submitted to ; sir Noraiz

Submitted by ; Farheen Saba

MID02181115

SAP I’D ; 70104145

Semester; 8th

Section; B

Subject; Patient care

CONTRAST MEDIA;

Contrast media are used to improve the inside images of the body produced by
ultrasound, MRI , X-ray, and CT scans. It allows radiologists to distinguish between normal and
abnormal tissues. They are not dyes that discolor the internal organs permanently.

ROLE OF CONTRAST MEDIA IN ULTRASOUND;

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is the application of ultrasound contrast

medium to traditional medical sonography. Ultrasound contrast agents rely on the different ways
in which sound waves are reflected from interfaces between substances. This may be the surface
of a small air bubble or a more complex structure. Commercially available contrast media are
gas-filled microbubbles that are administered intravenously to the systemic circulation.
Microbubbles have a high degree of echogenicity (the ability of an object to reflect ultrasound
waves). There is a great difference in echogenicity between the gas in the microbubbles and the
soft tissue surroundings of the body. Thus, ultrasonic imaging using microbubble contrast agents
enhances the ultrasound backscatter, (reflection) of the ultrasound waves, to produce a sonogram
with increased contrast due to the high echogenicity difference.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is regarded as safe in adults, comparable to the safety of MRI

contrast agents, and better than radiocontrast agents used in contrast CT scans.

MICROBUBBLE CONTRAST AGENT;

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound is regarded as safe in adults, comparable to the safety of MRI

contrast agents, and better than radiocontrast agents used in contrast CT scans.

1. MICROBUBBLE SHELL;

Selection of shell material determines how easily the microbubble is taken up by the
immune system. A more hydrophilic material tends to be taken up more easily, which
reduces the microbubble residence time in the circulation. This reduces the time available
 for contrast imaging. The shell material also affects microbubble mechanical elasticity.
Microbubble shell are composed of albumin, lipid, galactose or polymer.

2. MICROBUBBLE GAS POLYMER;

The gas core is the most important part of the ultrasound contrast microbubble
because it determines the echogenicity. When gas bubbles are caught in an ultrasonic
frequency field, they compress, oscillate, and reflect a characteristic echo- this generates
the strong and unique sonogram in contrast-enhanced ultrasound. Gas cores can be
composed of air, or heavy gases like perfluorocarbon, or nitrogen.

SPECIFIC CONTRAST AGENTS;

 Sulphur hexafluoride microbubble
 Octa flouropropane
 Air
 Perflexane
 Perflutren

TYPES OF CONTRAST ENHANCED ULTRASOUND;

There are two types of contrast enhanced ultrasound;

 UNTARGETED CEUS;

Untargeted microbubbles, such as the aforementioned SonoVue, Optison, or

Levovist, are injected intravenously into the systemic circulation in a small bolus. The
 microbubbles will remain in the systemic circulation for a certain period of time. During
that time, ultrasound waves are directed on the area of interest. When microbubbles in the
blood flow past the imaging window, the microbubbles’ compressible gas cores oscillate
in response to the high frequency sonic energy field, as described in the ultrasound
article. The microbubbles reflect a unique echo that stands in stark contrast to the
surrounding tissue due to the orders of magnitude mismatch between microbubble and
tissue echogenicity. The ultrasound system converts the strong echogenicity into a
contrast-enhanced image of the area of interest. In this way, the bloodstream's echo is
enhanced, thus allowing the clinician to distinguish blood from surrounding tissues.

 TARGETED CEUS;

Targeted contrast-enhanced ultrasound works in a similar fashion, with a few

alterations. Microbubbles targeted with ligands that bind certain molecular markers that
are expressed by the area of imaging interest are still injected systemically in a small
bolus. Microbubbles theoretically travel through the circulatory system, eventually
finding their respective targets and binding specifically. Ultrasound waves can then be
directed on the area of interest. If a sufficient number of microbubbles have bound in the
area, their compressible gas cores oscillate in response to the high frequency sonic energy
field, as described in the ultrasound article. The targeted microbubbles also reflect a
unique echo that stands in stark contrast to the surrounding tissue due to the orders of
magnitude mismatch between microbubble and tissue echogenicity. The ultrasound
system converts the strong echogenicity into a contrast-enhanced image of the area of
interest, revealing the location of the bound microbubbles. Detection of bound
microbubbles may then show that the area of interest is expressing that particular
molecular marker, which can be indicative of a certain disease state, or identify particular
cells in the area of interest.

ADVANTAGES OF CEUS;

 The body is 73% water, and therefore, acoustically homogeneous. Blood and
surrounding tissues have similar echogenicities, so it is also difficult to clearly
discern the degree of blood flow, perfusion, or the interface between the tissue
and blood using traditional ultrasound.
 Ultrasound imaging allows real-time evaluation of blood flow.
 Destruction of microbubbles by ultrasound in the image plane allows absolute
quantification of tissue perfusion.
  Ultrasonic molecular imaging is safer than molecular imaging modalities such as
radionuclide imaging because it does not involve radiation.
 Alternative molecular imaging modalities, such as MRI, PET, and SPECT are
very costly. Ultrasound, on the other hand, is very cost-efficient and widely
available.
 Since microbubbles can generate such strong signals, a lower intravenous dosage
is needed, micrograms of microbubbles are needed compared to milligrams for
other molecular imaging modalities such as MRI contrast agents.
 Targeting strategies for microbubbles are versatile and modular. Targeting a new
area only entails conjugating a new ligand.
 Active targeting can be increased (enhanced microbubbles adhesion) by
Acoustic radiation force using a clinical ultrasound imaging system in 2D-mode
and 3D-mode.

DISADVANTAGES OF CEUS;

 Microbubbles don't last very long in circulation. They have low circulation residence
times because they either get taken up by immune system cells or get taken up by the
liver or spleen even when they are coated with PEG.
 Ultrasound produces more heat as the frequency increases, so the ultrasonic frequency
must be carefully monitored.
 Microbubbles burst at low ultrasound frequencies and at high mechanical indices (MI),
which is the measure of the negative acoustic pressure of the ultrasound imaging system.
Increasing MI increases image quality, but there are tradeoffs with microbubble
destruction. Microbubble destruction could cause local microvasculature ruptures and
hemolysis.
 Targeting ligands can be immunogenic, since current targeting ligands used in preclinical
experiments are derived from animal culture.
  Low targeted microbubble adhesion efficiency, which means a small fraction of injected
microbubbles bind to the area of interest. This is one of the main reasons that targeted
contrast-enhanced ultrasound remains in the preclinical development stages.

SCANS IN WHICH CONTRAST MEDIA IS USED;

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be used to image blood perfusion in organs, measure blood
flow rate in the heart and other organs, and for other applications.

The main reasons to have a contrast-enhanced ultrasound are:

 To get better-quality images of an abnormality seen on a regular ultrasound, CT scan, or

MRI
 To monitor a known abnormality for changes in size or appearance
 To image organs after trauma, infection, or suspected masses
 To monitor the liver for hepatocellular carcinoma (a type of liver cancer) in patients with
cirrhosis (scarring of the liver)
 To image the liver or urinary system in patients who are allergic to the contrast used in
CT or MRI
 To check how open a blood vessel is, or to look for clots in a vein
 To differentiate a gallbladder tumor from benign carcinoma.