Hepatic vein transit time of an ultrasound contrast agent: simplified procedure using pulse inversion imaging

The aim of this study was to ascertain whether a new ultrasound technique, namely pulse inversion imaging, could assess the arrival of a contrast agent in the hepatic veins, and to describe possible advantages of this procedure in determining transit time over a previously described method based upon spectral Doppler quantification. 15 subjects were scanned using pulse inversion imaging. A bolus injection of 2.5 g Levovist (Schering AG, Berlin, Germany) 300 mg ml−1 was given into an antecubital vein. Median transit times of 16 s (range 14–20 s) were found in patients with liver cirrhosis (n=4), 22 s (range 16–27 s) in patients with focal liver lesions (n=8) and 31 s (range 30–32 s) in control subjects (n=3). The maximum interobserver variation was 2 s and the maximum intraobserver variation was 3 s (n=10). Transit time was assessed by both pulse inversion imaging and spectral Doppler quantification in six patients. Comparison of the two methods showed transit times within 2 s apart in five patients and wi...