Summary
The present animal experimental study showed that intraoperative hepatic ultrasonography using an echo contrast medium can visualize small hepatomas (with a diameter of between 3 and 15 mm) induced in the rat liver, although they were not recognizable with plain ultrasonography. A homogeneous increase in the echogenicity of the liver tissue was achieved by using an echo contrast medium (Echovist) based on galactose microparticles. Selfmade bubble preparations such as those used in echocardiography were far less effective. When the dosage was optimal (0.01−0.003 ml/g liver weight with concentrations of 200 and 300 mg/ml Echovist), homogeneous contrast enhancement of the liver was achieved for at least 10 min after a single bolus injection via all routes of contrast adminstration (hepatic artery, portal vein, bile duct). As a result, hepatomas appeared as hypodense formations (portal vein and bile duct) or as hyperdense zones (hepatic artery).
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El Mouaaouy, A., Becker, H.D., Schlief, R. et al. Rat liver model for testing intraoperative echo contrast sonography. Surg Endosc 4, 114–117 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00591273
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00591273