New Guidelines Support Safety and Benefits of Ultrasound-Enhancing Agents in Cardiology

CHICAGO & SÃO PAULO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is “safe, cost-effective and widely-supported by scientific evidence,” according to new evidence-based guidelines on the use of microbubble contrast agents in cardiovascular ultrasound published by the Brazilian Society of Cardiology (DIC/SBC) with endorsement of the International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS).

The “Guideline on the Clinical Use of Ultrasound-Enhancing Agents in Cardiology Applications – 2026” supports clinical applications of ultrasound-enhancing agents for cardiac chamber opacification, myocardial perfusion imaging, stress echocardiography, detection of cardiac masses and thrombi, pediatric echocardiography, vascular imaging, and emerging therapeutic applications.

“This guideline reflects decades of scientific progress and clinical experience demonstrating the value of ultrasound-enhancing agents in improving diagnostic accuracy, patient care, and healthcare efficiency,” said Dr. Wilson Mathias Jr., lead author of the Guideline and ICUS Board Member. Dr. Mathias is an associate professor of Cardiology at the University of São Paulo and Director of the Echocardiography at the university’s Heart Institute (InCor).

“Our goal is to provide clinicians with practical, evidence-based recommendations that will support broader adoption of CEUS techniques and ultimately improve cardiovascular outcomes for patients,” he said.

The guidelines were developed by a team of 63 CEUS experts from Latin America, North America and Europe, and represent one of the most comprehensive reviews of cardiovascular contrast ultrasound published to date.

The Guideline was published in the Arquivos Brasileiros de Cardiologia and is available on the ICUS website: www.ICUS-Society.org.

About ICUS

The International Contrast Ultrasound Society (ICUS) is a multidisciplinary nonprofit medical society dedicated to advancing the safe and appropriate use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound through education, research, and international collaboration.