Intraductally applied contrast-enhanced ultrasound (IA-CEUS) for improved visualization of obstructive diseases of the salivary glands,primary results

Abstract

Purpose: Obstructive diseases of the salivary glands are often based on Sialolithiasis; however, conventional radiological imaging or ultrasound does not provide a diagnosis in 5–10% of all cases. It was the aim of our study to examine the effectiveness and viability of an intraductal applied contrast-enhanced ultrasound (IA-CEUS) to improve the visualization of obstructive diseases of the salivary glands in comparison to conventional ultrasound and clinical symptoms. Materials and methods: The study included fifteen patients with swelling of indeterminate cause and/or pain of one or more salivary glands. A high-end ultrasound machine (Siemens, ACUSON, S 2000, Germany) with a multi-frequency linear 9MHz transducer was used to carry out contrast-enhanced ultrasound with SonoVue^®. Results: All patients were examined using all diagnostic ultrasound tools of the study. The results show that the procedure is easy and convenient to perform, as well as efficient, but more significantly, that the intraductal contrast agent improved the diagnostic assessment capabilities of ultrasound for patients with obstructive salivary gland diseases, thereby helping to identify the best treatment. Conclusion: In comparison to conventional ultrasound, the use of an intraductal applied contract-enhanced ultrasound not only improved the visualization of the glandular duct system as a whole, but was less time-consuming as well as more reproducible. Thus, IA-CEUS with an intraductal applied contrast agent (IA-CEUS) is a promising tool that provides additional helpful information and an improvement for cases involving patients with unclear symptoms.