HARMONIC IMAGING OF PORCINE INTRAOVARIAN ARTERIES USING SONOGRAPHIC CONTRAST-MEDIUM INITIAL FINDINGS

The purpose of this study teas to visualize, using harmonic gray-scale imaging, blood flow in porcine intraovarian arteries after intravenou s injections of a bubble-based sonographic contrast medium. Five femal e pigs underwent laparotomy. Surgically isolated ovaries were scanned intraperitoneally by an ultrasound system reconfigured with software c hanges to accomplish harmonic imaging. The transmission and receiving frequencies were set at 3.75 and 7.5 MHz, respectively. After injectio n of the sonographic contrast medium (Aerosomes(R)) into a peripheral vein, the ovaries were imaged in the harmonic mode. Ten minutes later, another contrast injection was administered and conventional gray-sca le imaging of the ovary performed. In all five pigs, intraovarian arte ries were clearly identified upon harmonic imaging as brightly echogen ic moving columns. The arterial blood pool appeared brighter during sy stole than diastole. Upon ultrasound contrast-assisted conventional gr ay-scale imaging, intraovarian arteries were not visualized in four pi gs and poorly visualized in one. We conclude that contrast-assisted ha rmonic imaging can adequately visualize blood flow in intraovarian art eries of surgically exposed porcine ovaries. Clinically, harmonic imag ing may facilitate early detection of tumor-induced angiogenesis in th e human ovary.