Xiao-Xia Hou1, Guang-Hua Chu2, Yuan Yu3. 1. Department of Medical Ultrasound Center, Northwest Women and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China. 2. Department of Gynecology, Northwest Women and Children's Hospital, Xi'an, China. 3. Department of Hand and Foot Micro-Surgery, Ankang Central Hospital of Shaanxi Province, Ankang, China.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a modern diagnostic method that can also be used to study microperfusion. This study compared the time to peak intensity measured by CEUS in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and healthy control participants. METHODS: After a comprehensive literature search in multiple electronic databases and study selection, a random-effect meta-analysis was performed to compare the time to peak intensity measured by CEUS in patients with PAD and healthy controls, which followed meta-regression analyses for identification of factors affecting the outcomes. RESULTS: Fourteen studies (data for 322 patients with PAD and 314 healthy individuals) were used for the meta-analysis. The age of this sample of patients with PAD was 64.92 (95% confidence interval, 62.53, 67.31) years, and that of the healthy controls was 55.32 (51.67, 58.98) years. The times to peak intensity were 18.55 (15.62, 21.48) seconds in healthy controls, 33.40 (27.65, 39.15) seconds in patients with PAD, and 76.22 (36.23, 116.22) seconds in patients with PAD and diabetes mellitus. The difference between patients with PAD and healthy controls in the time to peak intensity was statistically significant (mean difference, 24.80 [10.16, 39.44] seconds; P < .00009). The ABI was not significantly associated with the time to peak intensity in patients with PAD. Age and sex were also not significantly associated with the time to peak intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of PAD based on its ability to differentiate the time to peak intensity between patients with PAD and healthy individuals, but little data are yet available to assess its diagnostic ability in clinical practice.
OBJECTIVES: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) is a modern diagnostic method that can also be used to study microperfusion. This study compared the time to peak intensity measured by CEUS in patients with peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and healthy control participants. METHODS: After a comprehensive literature search in multiple electronic databases and study selection, a random-effect meta-analysis was performed to compare the time to peak intensity measured by CEUS in patients with PAD and healthy controls, which followed meta-regression analyses for identification of factors affecting the outcomes. RESULTS: Fourteen studies (data for 322 patients with PAD and 314 healthy individuals) were used for the meta-analysis. The age of this sample of patients with PAD was 64.92 (95% confidence interval, 62.53, 67.31) years, and that of the healthy controls was 55.32 (51.67, 58.98) years. The times to peak intensity were 18.55 (15.62, 21.48) seconds in healthy controls, 33.40 (27.65, 39.15) seconds in patients with PAD, and 76.22 (36.23, 116.22) seconds in patients with PAD and diabetes mellitus. The difference between patients with PAD and healthy controls in the time to peak intensity was statistically significant (mean difference, 24.80 [10.16, 39.44] seconds; P < .00009). The ABI was not significantly associated with the time to peak intensity in patients with PAD. Age and sex were also not significantly associated with the time to peak intensity. CONCLUSIONS: Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography is a valuable tool for the diagnosis of PAD based on its ability to differentiate the time to peak intensity between patients with PAD and healthy individuals, but little data are yet available to assess its diagnostic ability in clinical practice.