INTRAVASCULAR ULTRASOUND CONTRAST MEDIA

Intravascular ultrasound contrast media are substances that increase the echogenicity of blood. Although not yet completely explored, the clinical applications of intravascular ultrasound contrast media are cardiologic, such as for chamber opacification and myocardial perfusion imaging, the assessment of vascular diseases in general and the study of tumor vessels. Gas-filled bubbles are the preferred echo-enhancing contrast media. Research in this field is concentrating on the creation of very small, stable and non-toxic bubbles, capable of surviving pulmonary transit and appear into the left heart and peripheral vessels. Contrast provided by such media is visible on grey-scale images of the heart and also enhances Doppler signals. The potential clinical applications and the problems related to the creation of ultrasound contrast media suitable for clinical use are reviewed and illustrated by examples of contrast injections performed on patients.