Conventional ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of normal rabbit biliary ducts

Zheng Bo-wen; Ren Jie; Zheng Rong-qin; Wang Ping; Zeng Jie; Lü Yan; Zhou Jie; Zhang Yu-jin; Yang Song-lin

doi:10.3969/j.issn.2095-4344.2013.44.019

Abstract：BACKGROUND:The experimental animal models can be used to in-depth investigate the effect of ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of ischemic biliary lesions. But there is no report on the phase timing standard of rabbit model contrast-enhanced ultrasound that used in various hepatobiliary diseases. OBJECTIVE:To investigate the ultrasonic appearance of normal rabbit biliary ducts with conventional ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, and the criterion of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography phase timing of rabbit liver. METHODS:The conventional ultrasonography of hepatobiliary system was performed on 10 healthy New Zealand rabbits, and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography was performed on duct wal s that displayed in conventional ultrasonography, then the features were analyzed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:(1) The bile duct of normal New Zealand rabbits showed a portal to biliary caliber ratio of 3.59±0.54. (2) The detection rates of common and middle lobe bile ducts were significantly higher than that of lateral lobe bile ducts on both conventional ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. (3) The phases of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography of normal rabbit liver were divided into arterial phase (10-20 seconds), portal phase (21-30 seconds) and late phase (31-180 seconds). The normal duct wal presented hyper-enhancing at arterial phase and persistent iso-enhancing at portal and late phases. The establishment of these parameters of normal New Zealand rabbits not only lays a foundation for the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography on biliary ischemia but also expands to other hepatobiliary models.