Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in pregnancy.

Abstract

There are complex problems related to diagnostic imaging of the pregnant patient Cross sectional imaging with computed tomography (CT) tends to be avoided to due to the risk radiation poses to the fetus and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may be limited due to avoidance of gadolinium contrast.While ultrasound (US) is the primary test for imaging in pregnancy, there is limited awareness of contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) as a safe and accurate option for providing similar vascular information to that which is usually provided with contrast-enhanced CT and MRI. Microbubble contrast agents do not cross the placental barrier and have been shown in animal studies to pose no harm to the fetus at doses far above the human dose.The literature on CEUS in pregnancy will be reviewed and the utility and diagnostic accuracy of CEUS for the assessment of acute and chronic maternal conditions and evaluation of neoplastic masses will be demonstrated with case examples.