OBJECTIVETo assess the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging in monitoring the therapeutic effect of argon-helium cryosurgical treatment of malignant tumors.

METHODSBefore and after argon-helium cryosurgical treatment, 42 patients underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging, conventional ultrasound imaging and enhanced CT or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for examining the number of tumor foci and the size of necrotic areas.

RESULTSA total of 80 tumor lesions were detected by contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging. Compared with conventional ultrasound imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging detected a significantly greater number of tumors and the intratumoral necrotic areas (96 vs 19) as well as a significantly increased mean size of necrotic areas (5.7∓3.6 cm vs 2.8∓1.7 cm), showing no significant differences from the results by enhanced CT and MRI (94 and 5.5∓3.3 cm, P=0.872 and 0.978, respectively). The short-term therapeutic effect of argon-helium cryosurgery evaluated by contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging were also similar to that assessed by enhanced CT or MRI (P=0.906).

CONCLUSIONContrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging has important values in monitoring malignant tumors during argon-helium cryosurgical treatment and in evaluating the short-term therapeutic effect of the treatment.