Contrast-enhanced ultrasound clearly improves the differential diagnosis of hepatic tumors and is very helpful in clinical practice when B-scan or power Doppler morphological criteria are missing.

The accuracy and usefulness of gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS) for detecting activity and complications of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), has been reported in studies, promoting this technique as an important tool for the management of IBD patients. Whilst well recognised by international guidelines, standardization and general agreement in the definition of the luminal and extra-intestinal features, still need to be well defined.A task force group of 17 experts in GIUS faced this issue, by developing recommendations and clinical guidelines for the use of GIUS in IBD, under the auspices of EFSUMB. This article presents the consensus on the current data on sonographic features of IBD and summarises the accuracy of different sonographic modalities for the management of IBD patients.

In October 2014 the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology formed a Gastrointestinal Ultrasound (GIUS) task force group to promote the use of GIUS in a clinical setting. One of the main objectives of the task force group was to develop clinical recommendations and guidelines for the use of GIUS under the auspices of EFSUMB. The first part, gives an overview of the examination techniques for GIUS recommended by experts in the field. It also presents the current evidence for the interpretation of normal sonoanatomical and physiological features as examined with different ultrasound modalities.

Background This prospective multicenter study funded by the DEGUM assesses the diagnostic accuracy of standardized contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for the noninvasive diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in high-risk patients. Methods Patients at high risk for HCC with a histologically proven focal liver lesion on B-mode ultrasound were recruited prospectively in a multicenter approach. Clinical and imaging data were entered via online entry forms. The diagnostic accuracies for the noninvasive diagnosis of HCC were compared for the conventional interpretation of standardized CEUS at the time of the examination (= CEUS on-site) and the two CEUS algorithms ESCULAP (Erlanger Synopsis for Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound for Liver lesion Assessment in Patients at risk) and CEUS LI-RADS (Contrast-Enhanced UltraSound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System). Results 321 patients were recruited in 43 centers; 299 (93.1 %) had liver cirrhosis. The diagnosis according to histology was HCC in 256 cases, and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (iCCA) in 23 cases. In the subgroup of cirrhotic patients (n = 299), the highest sensitivity for the diagnosis of HCC was achieved with the CEUS algorithm ESCULAP (94.2 %) and CEUS on-site (90.9 %). The lowest sensitivity was reached with the CEUS LI-RADS algorithm (64 %; p < 0.001). However, the specificity of CEUS LI-RADS (78.9 %) was superior to that of ESCULAP (50.9 %) and CEUS on-site (64.9 %; p < 0.001). At the same time, the negative predictive value (NPV) of CEUS LI-RADS was significantly inferior to that of ESCULAP (34.1 % vs. 67.4 %; p < 0.001) and CEUS on-site (62.7 %; p < 0.001). The positive predictive values of all modalities were high (around 90 %), with the best results seen for CEUS LI-RADS and CEUS on-site. Conclusion This is the first multicenter, prospective comparison of standardized CEUS and the recently developed CEUS-based algorithms in histologically proven liver lesions in cirrhotic patients. Our results reaffirm the excellent diagnostic accuracy of CEUS for the noninvasive diagnosis of HCC in high-risk patients. However, on-site diagnosis by an experienced examiner achieves an almost equal diagnostic accuracy compared to CEUS-based diagnostic algorithms.

An interdisciplinary task force of European experts summarizes the value of gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS) in the management of acute appendicitis and diverticulitis. Based on an extensive literature review, clinical recommendations for these highly common diseases in visceral medicine are presented.In patients with acute appendicitis, preoperative sonography has been established as a routine procedure in most European countries for medical and legal reasons. Routine sonography in these patients may reduce the rate of unnecessary surgery by half. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of ultrasound reach values above 90 % and are equivalent to CT and MRI. However, the high operator dependence may be a problem, for example in point-of-care ultrasound in emergency departments. Structured training programs, quality controls and standardized ultrasound reporting should be increasingly implemented.In the case of suspected acute diverticulitis, “ultrasound first” should also be a basic element in the approach to all patients. Sonography can confirm the diagnosis and allows early risk stratification. As treatment strategies have become less aggressive and more tailored to the stage of diverticulitis, accurate staging has become increasingly important. GIUS and CT have proven to have similar sensitivity and specificity. Especially in cases of uncomplicated diverticulitis, GIUS will be the one and only imaging procedure. CT may work as a backup and has particular advantages for diverticulitis located in the distal sigmoid, inflammation deep in the small pelvis and insufficient ultrasound scanning conditions. This step-up approach (ultrasound first and CT only in case of a negative or inconclusive ultrasound result) has proven to yield the best accuracy.