[Intraoperative ultrasound in visceral surgery]. / Intraoperativer Ultraschall in der Viszeralchirurgie.

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative ultrasound is a routine procedure in abdominal surgery. Not only detection of focal lesions but also perfusion and elasticity analyses using color-coded Doppler sonography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography enable highly sensitive and highly specific diagnostics, especially in oncological surgery. OBJECTIVE: This article provides an overview on current techniques of intraoperative ultrasound and gives an outlook on future possibilities and applications. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Literature-based presentation of evidence-based intraoperative ultrasound, discussion of current basic research and expert recommendations. RESULTS: Modern intraoperative ultrasound is a highly efficient technique for detection and characterization of focal space-occupying lesions in surgery of benign and malignant diseases. CONCLUSION: Intraoperative ultrasound is a highly sensitive and specific diagnostic tool, providing real-time diagnostics with a manageable amount of technical equipment. Thus, preoperative diagnostics can be refined, partly resulting in a modification of intraoperative treatment management. Future developments in the fields of digital image fusion with preoperative sectional imaging, optical guidance of surgical instruments and molecular targeted tumor therapy will increase the importance of intraoperative sonography even more.

High-Resolution Ultrasound Including Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) for the Detection of Gas Formation during Aspergillus Fumigatus Infection in Mice.

PURPOSE: A. fumigatus infections represent a major threat for patients with a suppressed immune system. Early diagnosis is of importance for a favorable outcome but appears to be difficult due to limited diagnostic procedures. Here we investigated the sensitivity of high-resolution ultrasound (HRU) for the detection of A. fumigatus infection in the liver. MATERIALS AND METHODS: BALB/c mice were intravenously infected with A. fumigatus and monitored by HRU, Doppler sonography (CCDS), contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and real-time strain color-coded elastography (CCE) using a multi-frequency probe (6 - 15 MHz). Contrast media bolus injection of sulfur-hexafluoride micro-bubbles was applied and digital cine-loops from the arterial phase, as well as the portal venous phase up to the late phase of the whole liver were analyzed. All data were correlated to the histopathological findings. RESULTS: Using HRU and CEUS, a sonic shadow was detected in all infected animals. All Aspergillus-infected nodes from 3 - 6 mm in the liver showed a shadow with rim enhancement and no intranodal enhancement when using CEUS. A. fumigatus infection was confirmed by CFU assessment and histopathological analysis. Granulomas were not associated with shadowing on B-mode. In contrast, granulomas with a diameter above 5 mm and a higher stiffness in CCE generated particularly an arterial rim enhancement and portal venous washout without contrast media uptake in the late phase. In addition, CEUS was able to define dynamic capillary microvascularization of infected liver areas. CONCLUSION: Liver lesions associated with A. fumigatus infection can be detected in mice when combined with CEUS and CCE in vivo.