Advanced veterinary ultrasonography: Current trends in diagnostics and therapeutics.

Advanced ultrasound modalities and AI integration are expanding veterinary diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities significantly.

This review article examines the expanding role of ultrasonography in veterinary medicine, moving beyond conventional B-mode imaging to encompass advanced diagnostic and therapeutic modalities. The authors evaluate several emerging techniques with significant clinical relevance. Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) improves characterization of lesions by assessing vascular perfusion patterns, aiding in differentiation of benign versus malignant masses. Elastography provides tissue stiffness mapping, useful in evaluating hepatic fibrosis, nodular lesions, and musculoskeletal pathology. Ultrasound Localization Microscopy (ULM) offers unprecedented microvascular resolution beyond the diffraction limit, enabling detailed microvessel mapping. Photoacoustic Imaging (PAI) combines optical and acoustic principles to provide functional and molecular imaging capabilities. On the therapeutic front, High-Intensity Focused Ultrasound (HIFU) is discussed as a non-invasive ablative modality with potential applications in tumor management. The review also addresses the integration of artificial intelligence tools into ultrasound image analysis, highlighting AI's potential to standardize interpretation, reduce operator dependency, and enhance diagnostic accuracy. Together, these advancements represent a paradigm shift in veterinary ultrasonography, with implications across multiple specialties including oncology, internal medicine, and interventional procedures. Veterinary professionals should be aware of these evolving technologies as they transition from research settings into clinical practice.

This summary was distilled by AI and may occasionally misinterpret data. Confirm critical details with the primary literature before clinical application.