Contrast-enhanced US versus US-guided biopsy for abdominal and pelvic neoplasm in paediatric patients: a propensity score matching study.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of CEUS-guided biopsy (CEUS-GB) and ultrasound-guided biopsy (US-GB) in evaluating abdominal and pelvic (abdominopelvic) neoplasms in paediatric patients.
Methods: Patients aged < 18 years with abdominopelvic tumours who underwent either CEUS-GB or US-GB between April 2005 and May 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Tumours diagnosed as malignancies by pathology were considered true-positive findings. Benign lesions were identified by pathology or clinical follow-up of at least 6 months. The diagnostic performance of the two groups was compared using propensity score matching (PSM). Complications were also analysed.
Results: The present study included 764 paediatric patients (437 boys; median age, 24 months; interquartile range, 10-60 months); 151 were in the CEUS-GB group, and 613 were in the US-GB group. The sample adequacy rate was 100% (151 of 151) for the CEUS-GB group, which was greater than the 97.4% (597 of 613) for the US-GB group (p < 0.001). The overall diagnostic accuracy of the CEUS-GB group and US-GB group was 98.7% (149 of 151) versus 97.3% (581 of 597) in the total cohort (p = 0.551) and 98.7% (149 of 151) versus 92.7% (140 of 151) in the PSM cohort (p = 0.020). Two patients (0.3%) in the US-GB group experienced complications (Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE), grade 1-2) correlated with the biopsy. No adverse reactions occurred in the CEUS-GB group.
Conclusion: CEUS-GB of abdominopelvic tumours in paediatric patients is an effective and safe procedure with greater diagnostic accuracy than US-GB, especially for tumours with necrotic areas.
Clinical Relevance Statement: Contrast-enhanced US-guided biopsy of solid abdominal and pelvic tumours in paediatric patients is an effective and safe procedure with greater diagnostic accuracy than US-guided biopsy, especially for tumours with necrotic areas.
Key Points: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) may be superior to conventional ultrasound at guiding biopsy of abdominopelvic masses in paediatric patients. CEUS-guided core needle biopsy of abdominopelvic masses in children was safe and resulted in a diagnostic yield of 98.7%. CEUS guidance should be considered in this population when colour Doppler US is unable to determine a biopsy site.
Competing Interests: Compliance with ethical standards. Guarantor: The scientific guarantor of this publication is L.Z. Conflict of interest: The authors of this manuscript declare no relationships with any companies, whose products or services may be related to the subject matter of the article. Statistics and biometry: No complex statistical methods were necessary for this paper. Informed consent: Written informed consent was waived by the Institutional Review Board. Ethical approval: Institutional Review Board approval was obtained. Study subjects or cohorts overlap: Not applicable. Methodology: Retrospective Diagnostic or prognostic study Performed at one institution
(© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to European Society of Radiology.)