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Il Giornale Italiano di Radiologia Medica 2019 Luglio-Agosto;6(4):397-404

DOI: 10.23736/S2283-8376.19.00194-3

Copyright © 2019 EDIZIONI MINERVA MEDICA

language: English, Italian

A new application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of venous diseases of the lower limbs

Giovanni TURTULICI ¹, Giorgia DEDONE ² ✉, Enzo SILVESTRI ¹

¹ Department of Radiology, Ospedale Evangelico Internazionale, Genoa, Italy; ² Section of Radiology, Dipartimento Scienze della Salute (DISSAL), University of Genoa, Genoa, Italy

Chronic venous disease (CVD) is a very common disease with prevalence in the adult population of 60%. This is a disabling disease and burdened by a significant impact on health resources. It is currently diagnosed by anamnesis, detection of symptoms, clinical examination and instrumental examinations at rest and after dynamic tests. Among the instrumental exams, the gold standard is represented by the Eco-Color-Doppler study, which combines anatomical and hemodynamic information. However, the Eco-Color-Doppler is burdened by some limitations related to its physical principles, especially in the study of very slow flows.
To overcome these limitations, the role of the contrast ultrasound technique (CEUS) was examined for the diagnosis of chronic venous disease of the lower limbs in those conditions in which the diagnosis is incomplete by means of the Eco-Color-Doppler assessment alone, as well as for the diagnosis and follow-up of deep venous leg thrombosis, difficult to study with standard methods.

KEY WORDS: Contrast media; Veins; Ultrasonography; Venous thrombosis; Varicose veins