Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound vs. CT Angiography in Fenestrated EVAR Surveillance: A Single-Center Comparison:

PurposeTo evaluate contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as an effective alternative to computed tomographic angiography (CTA) during follow-up after fenestrated endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) of juxtarenal aortic aneurysms.MethodsBetween January 2008 and April 2011, 62 patients (all men; mean age 72 years) underwent fenestrated EVAR follow-up with both CTA and CEUS. In a retrospective analysis, the first CTA and CEUS postoperative examinations after EVAR were compared for endoleak detection, aneurysm sac diameter, and target vessel patency. The examinations were performed within 30 days of the procedure and the interval between the 2 scans was <7days. Only fenestrated endografts with up to 3 fenestrations (with or without a scallop) were eligible so that the entire implant could be visualized with standard abdominal ultrasound.ResultsThe mean diameters of the aneurysm sac were 56.58 ± 8.56 mm with CEUS and 57.70 ± 8.59 mm with CTA. The mean difference in aneurysm sac diameter was –1.13 ± 3.19 mm (95% ...