Guidelines and Good Clinical Practice Recommendations for Contrast Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Liver – Update 2012

TLDR

Guidelines for liver ultrasound contrast agents were first published in 2004, updated in 2008, and the need for international consensus has prompted a third edition. This document presents the third edition of CEUS liver recommendations, aiming to establish standardized protocols for contrast agent use worldwide. The guidelines were developed by a joint WFUMB‑EFSUMB expert panel and published in the official journals of both federations, offering general advice on all clinically available ultrasound contrast agents. The recommendations intend to standardize UCA use and enhance patient management worldwide.

Abstract

Initially, a set of guidelines for the use of ultrasound contrast agents was published in 2004 dealing only with liver applications. A second edition of the guidelines in 2008 reflected changes in the available contrast agents and updated the guidelines for the liver, as well as implementing some non-liver applications. Time has moved on, and the need for international guidelines on the use of CEUS in the liver has become apparent. The present document describes the third iteration of recommendations for the hepatic use of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) using contrast specific imaging techniques. This joint WFUMB-EFSUMB initiative has implicated experts from major leading ultrasound societies worldwide. These liver CEUS guidelines are simultaneously published in the official journals of both organizing federations (i.e., Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology for WFUMB and Ultraschall in der Medizin/European Journal of Ultrasound for EFSUMB). These guidelines and recommendations provide general advice on the use of all currently clinically available ultrasound contrast agents (UCA). They are intended to create standard protocols for the use and administration of UCA in liver applications on an international basis and improve the management of patients worldwide.