Intra-Arterial and Intravenous Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography in Prostate Artery Embolization: A Case Series

This retrospective case series details early experience with intra-arterial (IA) and intravenous (IV) contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in 8 patients (mean age, 70.4 years) who underwent prostatic arterial embolizations from July 2014 to March 2017. Technical success was achieved in 7 of the 8 patients. IA CEUS demonstrated ipsilateral prostatic perfusion in 15 out of 20 interrogated prostatic arteries (PAs), confirming proper catheter placement. Four of the 20 interrogated PAs demonstrated extraprostatic perfusion. One PA was not successfully interrogated owing to a localized wire perforation. IV CEUS, performed on 4 of the 8 patients, demonstrated decreased enhancement after embolization in all 4 patients, confirming the procedural end point.