Quantitative assessment of tumor enhancement by ultrastable lipid-coated microbubbles as a sonographic contrast agent

Invest Radiol. 1992 Jan;27(1):29-34. doi: 10.1097/00004424-199201000-00003.

Abstract

We have previously reported that ultrastable lipid-coated microbubbles make a suitable ultrasonic contrast agent in the brain, causing increased intensity of echoes that persists for many hours. We showed that intravenously administered lipid-coated microbubbles accumulate selectively in rat brain gliomas with echogenicity enhancement for up to 1 hour, allowing visualization of the growing lesions 40% (2 days) earlier than can be seen without contrast. This work is a detailed evaluation of the accumulation of the lipid-coated microbubbles in tumor and the effect of the bubbles on the echogenicity of insonified tumors. Using a lipid-specific stain, we measured and characterized the distribution of the bubbles in the brain and tumor. We showed that on the scan, the enhancement of the tumor is accompanied by a change in the signal-to-noise ratio of the echoes from the tumor. We identified characteristic textural changes associated with contrast-enhanced tumor using spectral analysis.

Publication types

  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Brain / pathology
  • Brain Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Brain Neoplasms / pathology
  • Contrast Media*
  • Echoencephalography
  • Lipids
  • Rats

Substances

  • Contrast Media
  • Lipids