Initially, a set of guidelines for the use of ultrasound contrast agents was published in 2004 dealing only with liver applications. A second edition of the guidelines in 2008 reflected changes in the available contrast agents and updated the guidelines for the liver, as well as implementing some non-liver applications. Time has moved on, and the need for international guidelines on the use of CEUS in the liver has become apparent. The present document describes the third iteration of recommendations for the hepatic use of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using contrast specific imaging techniques. This joint WFUMB-EFSUMB initiative has implicated experts from major leading ultrasound societies worldwide. These liver CEUS guidelines are simultaneously published in the official journals of both organizing federations (i.e., Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology for WFUMB and Ultraschall in der Medizin/European Journal of Ultrasound for EFSUMB). These guidelines and recommendations provide general advice on the use of all currently clinically available ultrasound contrast agents (UCA). They are intended to create standard protocols for the use and administration of UCA in liver applications on an international basis and improve the management of patients worldwide.

Guidelines and good clinical practice recommendations for Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the liver - update 2012: A WFUMB-EFSUMB initiative in cooperation with representatives of AFSUMB, AIUM, ASUM, FLAUS and ICUS.

Authors F. Piscaglia1, C. Nolsøe2, C. F. Dietrich3, D. O. Cosgrove4, O. H. Gilja5, M. Bachmann Nielsen6, T. Albrecht7, L. Barozzi8, M. Bertolotto9, O. Catalano10, M. Claudon11, D. A. Clevert12, J. M. Correas13, M. D’Onofrio14, F. M. Drudi15, J. Eyding16, M. Giovannini17, M. Hocke18, A. Ignee19, E. M. Jung20, A. S. Klauser21, N. Lassau22, E. Leen23, G. Mathis24, A. Saftoiu25, G. Seidel26, P. S. Sidhu27, G. ter. Haar28, D. Timmerman29, H. P. Weskott30

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The EFSUMB Guidelines and Recommendations on the Clinical Practice of Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS): Update 2011 on non-hepatic applications

The updated version of the EFSUMB guidelines on the application of non-hepatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) deals with the use of microbubble ultrasound contrast outside the liver in the many established and emerging applications.

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The EFSUMB guidelines and recommendations for the clinical practice of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in Non-Hepatic Applications: Update 2017 (Long Version)

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Guidelines and good clinical practice recommendations for contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the liver - Update 2012

Background Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CE-US), contrast CT scan and gadolinium dynamic MRI are recommended for the characterisation of liver nodules detected during surveillance of patients with cirrhosis with US. Aim To assess the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy and economic impact of all possible sequential combinations of contrast imaging techniques in patients with cirrhosis with 1–2 cm liver nodules undergoing US surveillance. Patients/methods 64 patients with 67 de novo liver nodules (55 with a size of 1–2 cm) were consecutively examined by CE-US, CT, MRI, and a fine-needle biopsy (FNB) as diagnostic standard. Undiagnosed nodules were re-biopsied; non-malignant nodules underwent enhanced imaging follow-up. The typical radiological feature of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was arterial phase hypervascularisation followed by portal/venous phase washout. Results HCC was diagnosed in 44 (66%) nodules (2, 2 cm). The sensitivity of CE-US, CT and MRI for 1–2 cm HCC was 26, 44 and 44%, with 100% specificity, the typical vascular pattern of HCC being identified in 22 (65%) by a single technique versus 12 (35%) by at least two techniques carried out at the same time point (p=0.028). Compared with the cheapest dual examination (CE-US+CT), the cheapest single technique of stepwise imaging diagnosis of HCC was equally expensive (€26 440 vs €28 667), but led to a 23% reduction of FNB procedures (p=0.031). Conclusions In patients with cirrhosis with a 1–2 cm nodule detected during surveillance, a single imaging technique showing a typical contrast pattern confidently permits the diagnosis of HCC, thereby reducing the need for FNB examinations.

https://gut.bmj.com/content/gutjnl/early/2009/12/01/gut.2009.187286.full.pdf

The diagnostic and economic impact of contrast imaging techniques in the diagnosis of small hepatocellular carcinoma in cirrhosis

EFSUMB study group M. Claudon1, D. Cosgrove2, T. Albrecht3, L. Bolondi4, M. Bosio5, F. Calliada6, J.-M. Correas7, K. Darge8, C. Dietrich9, M. D'On ofrio10, D. H. Evans11, C. Filice12, L. Greiner13, K. Jäger14, N. de. Jong15, E. Leen16, R. Lencioni17, D. Lindsell18, A. Martegani19, S. Meairs20, C. Nolsøe21, F. Piscaglia22, P. Ricci23, G. Seidel24, B. Skjoldbye25, L. Solbiati26, L. Thorelius27, F. Tranquart28, H. P. Weskott29, T. Whittingham30

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N. de Jong

Papers

Guidelines and good clinical practice recommendations for contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) - Update 2008