A revolution in liver ultrasound

Abstract

Liver ultrasound has been revolutionized by the development of microbubble contrast agents and multipulse software designed to detect their nonlinear resonances. The ability to visualize all parts of the liver's vasculature, including the sinusoids, at high spatial and temporal resolution gives unique insights into the haemodynamics of focal liver lesions. It has enabled ultrasound to detect and, as described by Celli N, et al.Eur J Gastroenterol Hepatol 2007; 3-14, to characterize such lesions with an accuracy comparable to multidetector computed tomography with consequent improvements in patient handling.