Real-time 3-D contrast-enhanced transcranial ultrasound and aberration correction.

Journal Article (Journal Article)

Contrast-enhanced (CE) transcranial ultrasound (US) and reconstructed 3-D transcranial ultrasound have shown advantages over traditional methods in a variety of cerebrovascular diseases. We present the results from a novel ultrasound technique, namely real-time 3-D contrast-enhanced transcranial ultrasound. Using real-time 3-D (RT3D) ultrasound and microbubble contrast agent, we scanned 17 healthy volunteers via a single temporal window and nine via the suboccipital window and report our detection rates for the major cerebral vessels. In 71% of subjects, both of our observers identified the ipsilateral circle of Willis from the temporal window, and in 59% we imaged the entire circle of Willis. From the suboccipital window, both observers detected the entire vertebrobasilar circulation in 22% of subjects, and in 44%, the basilar artery. After performing phase aberration correction on one subject, we were able to increase the diagnostic value of the scan, detecting a vessel not present in the uncorrected scan. These preliminary results suggest that RT3D CE transcranial US and RT3D CE transcranial US with phase aberration correction have the potential to greatly impact the field of neurosonology.

Full Text

Duke Authors

Cited Authors

  • Ivancevich, NM; Pinton, GF; Nicoletto, HA; Bennett, E; Laskowitz, DT; Smith, SW

Published Date

  • September 2008

Published In

Volume / Issue

  • 34 / 9

Start / End Page

  • 1387 - 1395

PubMed ID

  • 18395321

Pubmed Central ID

  • PMC2597560

International Standard Serial Number (ISSN)

  • 0301-5629

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

  • 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2008.01.015

Language

  • eng

Conference Location

  • England