Intra-operative contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a relatively standardized procedure in brain neurosurgery, but it is still underused in spinal cord and intramedullary tumor evaluation. We reviewed and analyzed the intra-operative data from a surgical series of patients harboring intramedullary spinal cord tumors who underwent surgery under CEUS guidance. CEUS was performed in 12 patients (age range: 13–55 y); all lesions had ill-defined boundaries or peritumoral cysts at preliminary intra-operative B-mode ultrasound. CEUS highlighted the tumors in all cases. The contrast agent's spinal distribution revealed different phases (arterial, peak, washout), as observed in the brain, but these appeared to be slower and less intense. In our experience, intra-operative CEUS allows surgeons to assess spinal cord perfusion and highlight intramedullary tumors in real time. As for other imaging modalities, ultrasound contrast agents add valuable information over baseline imaging, and their use should be fostered to better understand microbubble distribution dynamics.

术中对比增强超声 (CEUS) 是脑神经外科中相对标准化的程序，但在脊髓和髓内肿瘤评估中仍未得到充分利用。我们回顾和分析了一系列手术中的术中数据，这些患者在 CEUS 指导下接受了手术的髓内脊髓肿瘤患者。12 名患者（年龄范围：13-55 岁）进行了 CEUS；在术中 B 型超声检查中，所有病灶边界不清或瘤周囊肿。CEUS 突出显示了所有病例中的肿瘤。正如在大脑中观察到的那样，造影剂的脊柱分布显示出不同的阶段（动脉、峰值、冲刷），但这些阶段似乎更慢，强度也更低。根据我们的经验，术中 CEUS 允许外科医生实时评估脊髓灌注并突出髓内肿瘤。至于其他成像方式，超声造影剂在基线成像上增加了有价值的信息，应促进它们的使用以更好地了解微泡分布动态。