Contrast ultrasound dispersion imaging of different tumor types

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound imaging is a promising approach for prostate cancer detection by analysis of ultrasound-contrast-agent (UCA) transport kinetics. We have recently proposed the assessment of UCA dispersion kinetics as a valuable tool for characterizing prostate cancer microvascular architectures. To this end, a convective dispersion model is fitted to measured UCA time concentration curves. In this study, spatial coherence analysis is introduced as an alternative reliable method for estimation of UCA dispersion. An analytical monotonic relation between spatial coherence and UCA dispersion is derived. Coherence analysis is therefore proposed for classification of different tumor types. To this end, DU-145 and PC-3 human prostate cancer lines are studied in mice xenograft models. These models are investigated by coherence analysis, aiming at the characterization of their microvascular architecture. The results show a good correlation between microvascular density (MVD) and the obtained UCA dispersion (coherence) maps with p-value <; 0.01, suggesting contrast ultrasound dispersion imaging as a valuable non invasive option for characterization of MVD.