Marianne Gauthier MSc, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Farid Tabarout, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Ingrid Leguerney, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jessie Thalmensi, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Alain Joel Roche MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Nathalie Brigitte Lassau MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Speaker, Toshiba Corporation Speaker, Bracco Group Speaker, Novartis AG Speaker, Pfizer Inc Speaker, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

The objective of this study was to investigate the impact of the arterial input on tumor perfusion parameter measurements performed by dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCE-US), both in vitro and in vivo, following a bolus injection of SonoVue®.

The in vitro experiments were conducted using a home-made set up consisting in pumping a fluid through a phantom made of three intertwined silicone pipes mimicking a complex structure akin to that of vessels in a tumor combined with their feeding pipe mimicking the arterial input. In the in vivo experiments, DCE-US was performed on 5 mice xenografted with murine B16F10 melanoma cells, following a 0.1 mL retro-orbital bolus injection of SonoVue®. An Aplio XG machine (Toshiba) combined with a linear transducer (PLT 1202S probe, Toshiba) was used throughout experiments allowing pulse inversion imaging. A mathematical model developed by the Institut Gustave Roussy (Patent: WO/2008/053268) was used to extract 7 semi-quantitative parameters from the time-intensity curves and 3 quantitative ones from the residue function obtained following a deconvolution process based on the Tikhonov regularization method set up in our lab. We evaluated and compared the intra-operator variability values of both semi-quantitative and quantitative perfusion parameters.

In vitro, two volumes of SonoVue® were tested. Semi-quantitative parameters for both the phantom and the arterial input demonstrated intra-operator variability values ranging respectively from 3.47% to 13.60% and from 6.09% to 24.79%. Quantitative parameters derived following the deconvolution process ranged from 4.45% to 11.82%. In vivo, intra-operator variability values for tumor and arterial input semi-quantitative parameters ranged respectively from 3.74% to 29.34% and from 1.35% to 29.53% while quantitative ones ranged from 4.99% to 12.44%.

Both in vitro and in vivo studies demonstrated lower intra-operator variability values for quantitative perfusion parameters determined following the deconvolution process than for semi-quantitative ones. Taking into account arterial input when evaluating perfusion parameters decreases the intra-operator variability and might improve the DCE-US technique.

Quantitative assessment of perfusion parameters is more robust than semi-quantitative one and could improve the DCE-US technique when evaluating anti-angiogenic treatments.

Gauthier, M, Tabarout, F, Leguerney, I, Thalmensi, J, Roche, A, Lassau, N, Assessment of Quantitative Tumor Perfusion Parameters by Dynamic Contrast-enhanced Ultrasonography Using a Deconvolution Method: An in Vitro and in Vivo Study.  Radiological Society of North America 2010 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, November 28 - December 3, 2010 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2010/9005271.html