OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to evaluate the feasibility of volumetric acquisition of the abdominal organs using performance guidelines that we developed in our preliminary experience. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mechanical volumetric acquisitions of each abdominal organ, including the liver, gallbladder, pancreas, kidneys, spleen, bowel, and aorta, were performed in 200 consecutive patients. RESULTS: One thousand four hundred fifty-four volume data sets were graded for feasibility of performance and technical adequacy from I (impossible, incomplete) to V (excellent, complete). The most successfully imaged organ was the right kidney (grades IV and V, 95.0%) and the least successfully imaged, the spleen (grades IV and V, 69.0%). Very good to excellent grades (IV and V) were obtained in 1,215 (83.6%) of the 1,454 volumes. One hundred twelve (7.7%) of the 1,454 volumes were failures (grades I and II). The three organs with the highest success compared with the right kidney were the left kidney, gallbladder, and liver. The data sets of all the other organs showed a statistically significant difference in the feasibility of performance from the right kidney. Liver acquisition failures were associated with end-stage liver cirrhosis (n = 6), fatty liver (n = 3), and obesity (n = 3). Other acquisition failures, similar to conventional sonography, were associated with bowel gas interference and poor acoustic window. The technical limitations include poor resolution in the B and C planes and a limited range of frequencies; these limitations can be overcome in the future with matrix transducers and introduction of the technology to a broader frequency range. CONCLUSION: Volumetric acquisition in the abdomen performed using defined guidelines is feasible with recognized limitations. Technology advances will improve this imaging technique in the future.
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