Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Blunt Abdominal Trauma

Blunt abdominal trauma is one of the major causes of morbidity in children and requires accurate assessment with imaging at presentation. B-mode ultrasound (US) and focused assessment with sonography for trauma (FAST) have been widely used in children, especially in cases of low-grade mechanism of injury or low level of suspicion, to overcome the numerous disadvantages of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CE-CT), especially the risks related to ionizing radiation exposure to such vulnerable patients. In the scenario of low-energy trauma, both B-mode US and FAST imaging have poor sensitivity for the detection of solid organ injuries, resulting in an unnecessary CE-CT. With the advent of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), many of the limitations of US could be overcome: CEUS can readily detect solid organ injuries, with sensitivity similar to CE-CT. In recent years, the role of CEUS in trauma has expanded in the paediatric population and recognized as useful in reducing CE-CT imaging.