Contrast enhanced multiparametric ultrasound of cystic kidney lesions in comparison with the computed tomography

Objective: to evaluate the effectiveness and capabilities of multiparametric ultrasound (mpUS) with contrast enhanced in the assessment of renal cystic lesions and compare data with the results of computed tomography (CT).
Patients and Methods. The study included 61 patients with cystic kidney tumors (category Bosniak ≥ II). Cysts of categories Bosniak ≥ III were morphologically verified, the rest (categories II-IIF) were under long-term dynamic control. All patients underwent mpUS including greyscale mode, color doppler imaging (CDI) and contrastenhanced ultrasound (CEUS), as well as contrast-enhanced CT.
Results. Contrast-enhanced mpUS with CEUS demonstrated high efficiency of the method: sensitivity (Se) – 97.2%; specificity (Sp) – 91.6%; accuracy (A) – 95.1%. The effectiveness of CT with contrast in the study group was 91.7%; 84.0%; 88.5% respectively. Also, mpUS showed a more accurate assessment of cystic tumors according to the Bosniak classification, in comparison with contrast-enhanced CT.
Conclusions. Contrast-enhanced mpUS with CEUS demonstrated a significant increase in the effectiveness of the method as a whole, as well as higher rates in comparison with CT in the assessment of cystic formations of the kidneys. This technique should be considered as the method of choice in cases where CT is not possible, and it is recommended to include it in the algorithm for examining patients with cystic kidney tumors.

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