Transcutaneous contrast-enhanced sonography of peripheral lung lesions.

Abstract

Transpulmonary sonography contrast agents, in conjunction with contrast-specific imaging techniques, are increasingly accepted in clinical use for diagnostic imaging of several organs. Anatomically, the lung is characterized by dual blood sources, supplied from both the pulmonary and bronchial arteries. Contrast-enhanced sonography enables us to determine whether the pulmonary or the bronchial arteries are the source of blood to lung lesions, depending on the time to enhancement and the extent of enhancement after contrast agent application. This article reports our first experience with transcutaneous contrast-enhanced sonography for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of peripheral lung lesions.