Contrast-enhanced ultrasound fundamentals: the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of contrast. Basics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a medical imaging technique that offers multiple advantages over other modalities such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These advantages include portability, no ionising radiation and no renal toxicity, with the great advantage of real-time imaging. CEUS has numerous established applications for the study of different pathologies, both intravenous and intracavitary administration. The contrast used is different in composition and function from CT or MRI contrast. It is a purely intravascular contrast and, therefore, the enhancement of the lesions may have some differences with respect to CT or MRI in the equilibrium phase. Ultrasound contrast has a very good safety profile, with infrequent, generally mild and immediate adverse reactions in intravascular use and no adverse reactions reported in intracavitary use. It is important to know the basics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, the different ways to optimise the image and the different artefacts.