To investigate the value of intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound in examination of drainage tube in patients with poor drainage.

From December 2019 to June 2020, patients who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous catheter drainage and were clinically considered to have poor drainage at our hospital were enrolled in the study. B-mode ultrasound and intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound were used to observe the position and tip of the drainage catheter, and the effective drainage areas of the tube was evaluated. The contrast agent was SonoVue diluted 1:200 for intraluminal usage. SPSS statistical software was used for statistical analyses.

The times to detect the drain body and the drain tip by intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound were (5.72±0.83) s and (13.4±1.12) s, respectively, which were significantly shorter than those spent by conventional ultrasonography [(69.94±7.06) s and (108.50±7.06) s, t=520.5 and 840.2, respectively, P＜0.001]. The detection rates of the drain body and drain head by intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound were 94.2% (49/52) and 88.5% (46/52), respectively, which were significantly better than the corresponding rates [40.4% (21/52) and 21.1% (11/52)] achieved by using conventional ultrasound (χ²=33.28 and 47.55, respectively, P＜0.001). Intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound revealed multiple lacunae in six abscesses, including four cases in which the part of the drainage catheter placed in the abscess did not communicate with other abscess parts.

Intracavitary contrast-enhanced ultrasound can provide accurate information about the position of the drainage tube and tip, and can fully evaluate the cause of poor drainage, so as to guide clinicians to adjust the drainage tube.