Characterization and Diagnostic Confidence of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Solid Renal Tumors

Contrast enhanced ultrasound of renal masses. A reappraisal of EFSUMB recommendations and possible emerging applications.

“…The new data from published studies and meta-analysis, in which new tumoral enhancement features (like the timing of wash-in and wash-out) were analysed, have demonstrated that CEUS can be used with good accuracy in the diagnostic of renal tumours [20,[27][28][29][30]. This is somehow in contradiction with previous studies that have considered CEUS an unreliable imaging method of RCC, due to chaotic vascularization, without typical enhancement patterns [31].…”

Sonographic patterns of renal lymphoma in B-mode imaging and in contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)—A retrospective evaluation

“…Whereas focal liver lesions can be correctly diagnosed by CEUS in 91% of the cases, the evaluation of whether a renal lesion of unknown origin is benign or malignant is less accurate [4,7,[11][12][13][14][15]. Overall, malignant lesions of the kidney preferentially showed a rapid contrast media accumulation, followed by an early wash-out phenomenon [7,13,14].…”

“…Overall, malignant lesions of the kidney preferentially showed a rapid contrast media accumulation, followed by an early wash-out phenomenon [7,13,14]. In contrast benign lesions were characterized by a slow accumulation of contrast agents, followed by a slow wash-out [7,13,14].…”

“…Overall, malignant lesions of the kidney preferentially showed a rapid contrast media accumulation, followed by an early wash-out phenomenon [7,13,14]. In contrast benign lesions were characterized by a slow accumulation of contrast agents, followed by a slow wash-out [7,13,14]. However, small study populations and different enrolment criteria make it difficult to directly compare the results of different studies [7,13,14].…”

“…In contrast benign lesions were characterized by a slow accumulation of contrast agents, followed by a slow wash-out [7,13,14]. However, small study populations and different enrolment criteria make it difficult to directly compare the results of different studies [7,13,14]. We believe that CEUS of renal lymphoma does not seem necessary in the follow up, since regression or progression of the lesions can be also determined in B-mode-imaging over time.…”