Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine最新文献

Management of suspected large for gestational age (LGA) fetuses remains unclear because ultrasound-estimated fetal weight (EFW) is not accurate. This was a systematic review of observational studies on fetal soft tissues measurements used alone or in combination to create a new EFW formula, to improve the screening for LGA fetuses. Studies were scored using a predefined set of independently agreed methodological criteria and an overall quality score was assigned for study design, statistical analysis, and reporting methods. There is a need to standardize methodologies for soft fetal tissue measurements. We propose a set of suggestions for this purpose.

A 2012 review of therapeutic ultrasound was published to educate researchers and physicians on potential applications and concerns for unintended bioeffects (doi: 10.7863/jum.2012.31.4.623). This review serves as an update to the parent article, highlighting advances in therapeutic ultrasound over the past 12 years. In addition to general mechanisms for bioeffects produced by therapeutic ultrasound, current applications, and the pre-clinical and clinical stages are outlined. An overview is provided for image guidance methods to monitor and assess treatment progress. Finally, other topics relevant for the translation of therapeutic ultrasound are discussed, including computational modeling, tissue-mimicking phantoms, and quality assurance protocols.

Double aortic arch with an atretic left aortic arch can resemble like a right aortic arch with an aberrant left subclavian artery or a right aortic arch with mirror image branching. Differentiating these closely resembling fetal aortic arch abnormalities is important for proper prenatal counselling and immediate neonatal evaluation. In this pictorial essay, we describe these three cases and its typical imaging features using conventional and four-dimensional echocardiography.

Objectives: The reported prevalence of adenomyosis ranges widely due to different study populations, diagnostic tests and criteria. Categorizing the severity of disease may prove important. This study aims to develop a semi-quantifiable sonographic method to grade the severity of adenomyosis and assess the feasibility and interobserver reliability of this method.

Methods: Cross-sectional pilot study performed at a gynecology outpatient clinic, included 35 premenopausal women with adenomyosis, not taking hormonal medication. Diagnosis required ≥1 direct sonographic feature of adenomyosis. Two-dimensional (2D) grayscale video clips and 3-dimensional (3D) volumes of the uterus of the first 5 patients were evaluated using 6 offline methods to assess feasibility. Feasible methods were analyzed for interobserver (n = 3) reliability (Fleiss kappa or intraclass correlation) and compared with current ultrasound methods (Cohen's weighted kappa and Spearman's rank correlation). Current methods include real-time estimation (mild/moderate/severe) and counting the individual sonographic features.

Results: "eXtended Imaging virtual organ computer-aided analysis (XI VOCAL) counting" (counting affected slices of 20 parallel slices in the 3D volume), "Multiplanar and 3D rendering (MPR) estimation" (grading volume by eyeballing in multiplanar render mode), and "2D-clip estimation" (grading volume in 2D-clips) emerged as feasible methods. "XI VOCAL counting" and "2D-clip estimation" demonstrated good interobserver reliability, whereas "MPR estimation" had poor reliability. Comparison with real-time estimation showed moderate reliability with all methods. "XI VOCAL counting" and "MPR estimation" correlated positively with the number of sonographic features.

Conclusion: "XI VOCAL counting" demonstrated to be feasible with good interobserver reliability to assess the severity of adenomyosis in an objective, systematic, and semi-quantifiable fashion and should be validated with large-scale studies for future use. Future studies should also explore the association between sonographic severity and symptoms of adenomyosis.

Objective: To assess the reproducibility of standardized 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound volume analysis of the dimensions and the position of cesarean birth (CB) scar niche relative to the cervix in pregnant women.

Methods: This prospective single-center study in women with 1 previous CB ≥8 cm cervical dilatation acquired ultrasound volumes between 11 and 24 weeks' gestation in a mid-sagittal plane. Two experienced operators processed the volumes using virtual organ computer-aided analysis. A CB scar niche was defined as an indentation at the scar site of ≥2 mm in depth. Niche and cervix volumes were calculated using manual contouring. Agreement for categorical variables was expressed using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The Bland-Altman method was used to assess numerical variable reproducibility.

Results: To achieve the desired statistical power, 52 participants were included. The intraobserver agreement on niche classification relative to the internal os was 100%, with an interobserver kappa coefficient of 0.98 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.97-0.99, P < .05). The intraobserver ICC for niche volume was 0.94 (95% CI 0.90-0.96; P < .001), with a mean difference of -15.32 mm³ (±109.32). The interobserver ICC was 0.78 (95% CI 0.62-0.87; P < .001), with a mean difference of -21.57 mm³ (±202.01). The ICC for niche/cervix volume ratio were 0.94 (95% CI 0.90-0.96; P < .001) and 0.79 (95% CI 0.63-0.87; P < .001) for intra- and interobserver reproducibility, respectively.

Conclusions: This study demonstrates that 3D CB scar sonographic features are highly reproducible in pregnant women with a history of advanced labor CB. The validated protocol can guide future research on the association with subsequent adverse pregnancy outcomes.

Objectives: To evaluate for distinguishing demographic and sonographic features of small (<3 cm) endophytic angiomyolipomas (AMLs) that differentiate them from endophytic renal cell carcinomas (RCCs).

Methods: This is a Health Insurance Portablitiy and Accountablity Act (HIPAA)-compliant retrospective review of the demographics and ultrasound features of endophytic renal AMLs compared to a group of endophytic RCCs. AMLs were confirmed by identifying macroscopic fat on computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), while RCCs were pathologically proven. Statistical analysis was used to compare findings in the 2 groups.

Results: There were a total of 66 patients with 66 AMLs, and 28 patients with 28 RCCs. Of the AMLs, 57 of 66 were in females, while 10 of the 28 RCC cases were in females (P < .0001). The mean AML long and short diameters were 11.0 × 9.3 mm and were statistically significantly smaller (P < .0001) than the diameters of the RCCs (23.4 × 22.1 mm). Likewise, the ratio of the long axis to the short axis measurement was statistically significantly different between the 2 groups (P < .0001). Of the studied sonographic features, statistically different features between AMLs and RCCs included an oval versus a round shape (P < .001), respectively, and the presence versus absence of an echogenic margin, respectively. Location of the mass, mass homogeneity, mass lobulation, and presence of cystic components were not distinguishing features using P < .01 levels.

Conclusion: For an endophytic echogenic mass in a female patient, a small size with an oval shape and an echogenic margin is statistically more likely to be an AML than an RCC, which may be helpful with management decisions.

Objective: To determine equations for calculating the Z-scores of fetal cardiac structures between 18⁺⁰ and 34⁺⁶ weeks of gestation, create percentile reference tables and curves for the structures, and assess the intra- and inter-observer reproducibility of the measurements.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted involving 340 normal fetuses from singleton pregnancies between 18 and 34 weeks of gestational age (GA). Nineteen cardiac structures were evaluated: diameters of the mitral, tricuspid, aortic, and pulmonary valve annuli; length, diameter, and area of the left and right ventricles; cardiac area and circumference; and diameters of the ascending aorta, aortic isthmus, main pulmonary artery, right pulmonary artery, left pulmonary artery, and ductus arteriosus. Regression analysis was performed to determine the equations for the mean and standard deviation of all structures using GA, biparietal diameter (BPD), and femur length (FL) as independent variables.

Results: All equations had high coefficients of determination (R²). The best performance was achieved using the GA (R² .819-.944), followed by FL (R² .813-.937) and BPD (R² .792-.934). The structure that demonstrated the highest R² was the cardiac circumference and the smallest was the ductus arteriosus. Reference tables of percentiles 1, 5, 10, 50, 90, 95, and 99, and reference curves of Z-scores were created for all 19 cardiac structures, depending on the GA. All measurements demonstrated good and excellent reproducibility with an inter-observer intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.774-0.972 and intra-observer ICC of 0.938-0.993.

Conclusions: Equations were produced to calculate Z-scores as well as percentile tables and curves for 19 fetal heart structures. All the measurements demonstrated good reproducibility.