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Ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging for the detection of blood: An ex‐vivo study
Author(s) -
Regi Soumya Susan,
Livingstone Roshan S.,
Kandagaddala Madhavi,
Poonnoose Pradeep,
Gibikote Sridhar,
Keshava Shyamkumar N.,
Srivastava Alok
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
haemophilia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.213
H-Index - 92
eISSN - 1365-2516
pISSN - 1351-8216
DOI - 10.1111/hae.14303
Subject(s) - medicine , magnetic resonance imaging , transducer , ultrasound , ultrasonography , biomedical engineering , nuclear medicine , ex vivo , radiology , in vivo , acoustics , physics , microbiology and biotechnology , biology
Objectives Early detection of bleeding into a joint is crucial in patients with haemophilia. This study was designed to evaluate the sensitivity of ultrasonography (USG) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to detect the presence of blood in small concentrations in a simulated model to mimic joint bleeding. Materials and Methods Different concentrations of blood in plasma, varying from 0.1% to 45%, were collected in 10‐ml plastic syringes and imaged using 12 and 18 MHz USG transducers and with 1.5T and 3T MRI scanners, at different intervals of time following dilution. The images were scored for the presence of blood by four experienced radiologists who were blinded to the concentration of blood. Results Within the first 2 h, the 18 MHz transducer was able to detect blood consistently up to 0.5%, whereas the 12 MHz transducer could consistently identify blood up to 1.4%. After the first 12 h, both transducers were able to detect blood up to 0.5% concentration. However, at concentrations below 0.5%, there was discordance in the ability to detect blood, with both transducers. There was no correlation between the signal intensities of MRI images and concentration of blood, at different time intervals, irrespective of the magnetic field strength. Conclusions Detection of blood using the USG is dependent on variables such as the concentration of blood, frequency of the transducer used and timing of the imaging. As the concentration of blood decreases below 0.5%, the discordance between the observers increases, implying that the detection limit of USG affects its reliability at lower concentrations of blood. Caution is urged while interpreting USG imaging studies for the detection of blood in symptomatic joints.