Echo-enhancing sonography of a large-vessel hemangioma of the neck

Because of the slow flow in the venous spaces of large-vessel hemangiomas, demonstration of color flow signals with conventional color Doppler or powe r Doppler sonography may be difficult. We report the case of a 22-year-old female patient with a soft tissue tumor containing multiple fluid-filled sp aces in the right supraclavicular region. Gray-scale, color, and power Dopp ler sonography could not differentiate between cystic lymphangioma and larg e-vessel hemangioma. The intravenous echo-enhancing contrast agent Levovist was administered, and a significant echo-enhancing effect on color and pow er Doppler imaging was demonstrated in the fluid-filled spaces and lasted f or about 3 minutes. Histopathologic study of the excised tumor confirmed th e sonographic diagnosis of hemangioma. Levovist appears useful in depicting slow flow in a large-vessel hemangioma. (C) 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.