[Ultrasound contrast agents].

Ultrasound contrast agents consist of tiny gas bubbles encapsulated by a stabilising membrane or shell. When combined with recent contrast-specific ultrasound techniques, they provide substantial enhancement of vessels and solid organs. The clinical use and the diagnostic value of ultrasound contrast agents are in principle comparable to those of contrast agents for CT and MRI. They add an additional dimension of information to sonography, which results in considerable improvement of diagnostic accuracy in many cases. This paper reviews the physicochemical properties of various microbubble contrast agents, discusses non-linear bubble behaviour and contrast-specific imaging techniques. An overview of the most important radiological clinical applications in the liver, kidney and spleen is given.