Ultrasonography 2019;38(2):181-187

doi:10.14366/usg.18024

Multislice computed tomography/contrast-enhanced ultrasound image fusion as a tool for evaluating unclear renal cysts

Johannes RÜBENTHALER 1 ; Stephanie WILSON ; Dirk Andre CLEVERT

Affiliations

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Keywords

Cystic renal masses; Bosniak classification; Contrast enhanced ultrasound; Image fusion; Multislice-CT

Country

Republic of Korea

Language

English

Abstract

Ultrasonography is a generally accepted imaging technique for diagnosing and monitoring cystic renal lesions. The widely used Bosniak classification (I-IV) categorizes renal cystic lesions into five distinctive groups according to ultrasonography and computed tomography (CT) image criteria. For solid renal lesions, determination of vascularity is discriminatory for malignancy in most instances. In indeterminate cases, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and magnetic resonance imaging/CT-ultrasound image fusion are able to detect and characterize difficult pathologies, with superior performance to either technique alone. In contrast to multislice CT (MS-CT), ultrasound image fusion is a real-time imaging technique that can be used in combination with other cross-sectional imaging modalities. This technical note describes state-of-the-art image fusion of CEUS and MS-CT to detect and characterize unclear renal pathologies.