“How to perform contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)” provides general advice on the use of ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) for clinical decision-making and reviews technical parameters for optimal CEUS performance. CEUS techniques vary between centers, therefore, experts from EFSUMB, WFUMB and from the CEUS LI-RADS working group created a discussion forum to standardize the CEUS examination technique according to published evidence and best personal experience. The goal is to standardise the use and administration of UCAs to facilitate correct diagnoses and ultimately to improve the management and outcomes of patients.
BLA is useful to monitor clinical response, and may become crucial in directing the diagnostic process. Further research is warranted to clarify technical adjustments, different probe and machine factors that influence the visualization of BLA.
A s the most common cancer among women worldwide, breast cancer poses a great challenge to public health on a global scale (1). Identification of the presence of lymph node metastasis is pivotal for the pathologic staging, prognosis, and guidance of treatment in patients with breast cancer (2). Although several histopathologic findings, such as vascular and lymphatic invasion, epithelial hyperplasia, and necrosis, are associated with a higher risk for lymph node metastasis, they are available only postoperatively (3). The preoperative prediction of lymph node metastasis can provide valuable information for determining adjuvant therapy and developing surgical plans, thereby facilitating pretreatment decisions.Preoperative imaging assessment is of great value because of its convenient, comprehensive, and noninvasive properties. US plays a crucial role in detecting breast cancer and predicting lymph node metastasis (4). Most patients with early stage breast cancer who have clinically negative lymph nodes have no suspicious signs at either physical examination or imaging. Although radiologists often cannot find any signs of metastasis on US images of clinically negative lymph nodes, axillary lymph node metastasis is detected with sentinel lymph node biopsy in 15%-20% of patients (5). Several studies have found that numerous breast US characteristics are associated with lymph node metastasis. The distance
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