Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) is a Helpful Tool to Predict the Effectiveness of Somatostatin Analogues in Patients with Liver Metastases From Neuroendocrine Tumors

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Introduction: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) allows characterization of the micro-vascularization of tumor lesions. Liver metastases (LM) from neuroendocrine tumors (NET) show a typical pattern on CEUS, consistent with a rapid, intense and homogeneous enhancement (hypervascular pattern) in the arterial phase.

Aim(s): To evaluate the usefulness of CEUS in monitoring NET LM in patients treated with somatostatin analogues.

Materials and methods: Twenty-eight consecutive patients (14M, 14F, age 20-77 yrs) with NET LM were enrolled. CEUS was performed by using Sonovue (Bracco medical imaging, Italy) at baseline and one, three and six months after starting a treatment with somatostatin analogues and compared with a contrast-enhanced multi-slice CT-scan performed at three and six months.

Conference: 9th Annual ENETSConcerence (2012)

Presenting Author:

Authors: Ramundo V, Faggiano A, De Stefano G, Marciello F, Marotta V,

Keywords: neuroendocrine tumor, liver metastases, CEUS, prognostic factors, tumor detection,