Patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms are better served by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) than by color Doppler for follow-up care after receiving endovascular aortic repair (EVAR), according to a study published online May 18 in Clinical Hemorheology and Microcirculation.
Researchers from Ludwig-Maximilian University of Munich in Germany and Sapienza University of Rome in Italy reviewed the cases of 41 patients. Most of them, 38 (93 percent) were male to correspond to the incidence of the often-asymptomatic problem in the population, and ages ranged from 58 to 100.
Using CEUS as the gold standard, the team found endoleaks could be detected using a high-end system in 28 patients (68 percent) with 13 patients not showing an endoleak after EVAR.
Color Doppler showed a sensitivity of 32.1 percent, a specificity of 92.3 percent, a positive predictive value of 90 percent and a negative predictive value of 38.7 percent compared to CEUS being the gold standard.
“CEUS after EVAR using a modern high-end ultrasound system is a fast and cost-effective imaging modality for the detection and follow-up of endoleaks with superior benefits compared to color Doppler,” the authors conclude. “CEUS remains the initial standard-of-care examination for follow-up.”
Dave P. has worked in journalism, marketing and public relations for more than 30 years, frequently concentrating on hospitals, healthcare technology and Catholic communications. He has also specialized in fundraising communications, ghostwriting for CEOs of local, national and global charities, nonprofits and foundations.