Enhanced detection of blood flow in the normal canine prostate using an ultrasound contrast agent

RATIONALE AND OBJECTIVES. TO evaluate the sonographic appearance of normal prostate vascularity in dogs before and after injection of a new ultrasound contrast agent, NC100100. METHODS. Thirty-five intravenous injections of NC100100, in doses ranging f rom 0.00625 to 0.05 mu L microbubbles/kg, were administered to seven anesth etized mongrel male dogs, Transrectal color Doppler imaging and power Doppl er imaging were used to perform the assessment. The visibility of the vascu lar pattern of the prostate was assessed, including dynamics of contrast in flow, blood flow symmetry, and duration Limes. RESULTS. Before contrast administration, the vascular pattern was poorly vi sualized in all cases. After contrast injection, the visibility of the vasc ular architecture improved significantly for both modalities, Independent o f the imaging method used, higher doses tended to be more effective than lo wer doses. Contrast kinetics in the prostate vessels was demonstrated with a mean time from injection of the ultrasound contrast agent to enhancement of the Dopp ler signals in the subcapsular arteries( +/- 1 SD) of 13 +/- 3 seconds, and the ultrasound contrast agent reached the central periurethral veins 3 to 6 seconds later. A spokelike radial pattern of internal prostatic vessels o bserved with enhanced ultrasound could also be seen on silicone microfil x- ray images, The Doppler enhancement persisted for a mean time ( +/- 1 SD) o f 904 seconds (approximately 15 minutes) +/- 225 seconds and tended to incr ease with increasing dose. CONCLUSIONS. NC100100 significantly improves the detection of blood flow in the normal canine prostate and allows more accurate depiction of the vascu lar architecture of the prostate.