Source and clinical motivation of orders for contrast-enhanced sonography (CEUS) of the liver: A prospective single-center survey.

ABSTRACT: Contrast-enhanced sonography (CEUS) has become a routine part of diagnostic imaging of the liver. Its possibilities, limitations, and indications have been defined in adequately large clinical series and in guidelines and recommendations. We prospectively evaluated physicians' orders for hepatic CEUS received in the radiology department of a large oncology center in Naples, Italy from May 2009 to April 2010. Radiologists performing the CEUS examinations filled out a form that included patient demography, source and type of patient referral, and clinical indications for the examination. During the study period, 564 patients aged 17-86 years (mean, 58 years) were referred to our department for CEUS liver studies (total: 644; 491 outpatient studies, 153 inpatient studies). This included 4 exa

SUBMITTER: Catalano O 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3558109 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature