Application value of stomach filling ultrasonography and intravenous contrast agents in diagnosis of advanced gastric cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the imaging characteristics and clinical application value of gastric filling ultrasound combined with an intravenous contrast agent (double contrast ultrasonography, DCUS) in the diagnosis of advanced gastric carcinoma.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: Totally 48 patients with advanced gastric carcinoma were confirmed by endoscopic biopsy and then administrated with DCUS and enhanced magnetic resonance examination before treatment. Retrospective analysis was conducted based on the characteristics of their ultrasonic images, and the results of diagnosis were compared and analyzed between the DCUS technology and the enhanced magnetic resonance examination.

RESULTS: The DCUS technology showed rapid positive development in the arterial phase and rapid negative development in the portal phase at all foci of advanced gastric carcinomas. The initiation time in the arterial phase was (19.35±4.82) s, the peak value was (31.41±4.23) dB, and the expurgation time was (41.71±7.03) s. The accuracy rates of the DCUS diagnosis and the enhanced magnetic resonance diagnosis of advanced gastric cancer were 87.5% and 66.7% respectively, with statistical differences (p<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS: DCUS had specific fast-in and fast-out characteristics and high accuracy in diagnosing the advanced gastric cancer and so could be used as an effective means to the diagnosis of the disease in clinic.