GRAY-SCALE 2ND-HARMONIC IMAGING OF THE LIVER WITH GALACTOSE-BASED MICROBUBBLES

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. The authors evaluate the efficacy of SHU 508 A, a galactose-based contrast agent used in gray-scale second harmonic imaging in vitro and in vivo experiments, METHODS. A Toshiba prototyp e harmonic imaging system (2.5/5.0 MHz) was used with SHU 508A in a ph antom experiment and to image the liver in five healthy rabbits and on e rabbit that had VX-2 rumors in the liver, RESULTS. In the second har monic imaging, most of the fundamental components of the backscattered Echo were eliminated, and good images with high contrast were obtaine d in the phantom experiment, Liver parenchyma was enhanced dearly in a ll rabbits at 0.3 mL/kg, an effect that lasted for 90 seconds, The tum or, which was mostly necrotic, was depicted clearly as a negative enha nced area surrounded by enhanced healthy liver, CONCLUSIONS. Gray-scal e second harmonic imaging is a promising new method for visualization of perfusion of organs.