Gray-scale liver enhancement with Sonazoid (NC100100), a novel ultrasound contrast agent; detection of hepatic tumors in a rabbit model.

The liver contrast effects of Sonazoid in two ultrasonographic imaging modes, gray-scale conventional and harmonic, were examined as a time-related study in normal rabbits, and evaluated quantitatively and visually with tumor-model rabbits to estimate the diagnostic potential. Peak enhancement of vessels and parenchyma was observed 1 min after injection in both modes, although signal enhancement in the parenchyma lasted for 120 min compared with rapid decay (5-10 min) in vessels. When Sonazoid was intravenously injected into metastatic carcinoma-model (VX-2) rabbits, all hepatic tumors showed ring enhancement in the early phase followed by clear contrast defects in the delayed phase, because signal enhancement remained only in normal parenchyma. Visual analysis scores for the diagnosis of tumors were improved by Sonazoid injection, and the videodensitometric differences between tumor and normal tissues were significantly greater after injection. Although the harmonic mode tended to show better contrast effects, the conventional mode provided significant contrast enhancement in this hepatic tumor-model. Sonazoid might be useful for the detection of undifferentiated tumors in the liver by making it possible to visualize neovascularity in the early phase and clear contrast defects in the delayed phase, not only in the harmonic but also in the conventional mode.