Differentiation of Vascular Characteristics Using Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Imaging
Date
2019Author
Butler, MaireadPerperidis, Antonios
Zahra, Jean-Luc Matteo
Silva, Nadia
Averkiou, Michalakis
Duncan, W. Colin
McNeilly, Alan
Sboros, Vassilis
ISSN
0301-5629Source
Ultrasound in Medicine & BiologyVolume
45Issue
9Pages
2444-2455Google Scholar check
Metadata
Show full item recordAbstract
Ultrasound contrast imaging has been used to assess tumour growth and regression by assessing the flow through the macro- and micro-vasculature. Our aim was to differentiate the blood kinetics of vessels such as veins, arteries and microvasculature within the limits of the spatial resolution of contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. The highly vascularised ovine ovary was used as a biological model. Perfusion of the ovary with SonoVue was recorded with a Philips iU22 scanner in contrast imaging mode. One ewe was treated with prostaglandin to induce vascular regression. Time-intensity curves (TIC) for different regions of interest were obtained, a lognormal model was fitted and flow parameters calculated. Parametric maps of the whole imaging plane were generated for 2 × 2 pixel regions of interest. Further analysis of TICs from selected locations helped specify parameters associated with differentiation into four categories of vessels (arteries, veins, medium-sized vessels and micro-vessels). Time-dependent parameters were associated with large veins, whereas intensity-dependent parameters were associated with large arteries. Further development may enable automation of the technique as an efficient way of monitoring vessel distributions in a clinical setting using currently available scanners.