Ultrasound International Open最新文献

Placental mesenchymal dysplasia (PMD) is a rare, benign developmental anomaly with a reported prevalence of 0.02% (Arizawa and Nakayama, 2002). It is characterized by placentomegaly with multiple cystic lesions of the stem villi and vascular anomalies (Pawoo and Heller, 2014). Early detection of PMD has been described during routine prenatal ultrasound (Vaisbuch et al., 2009). The sonographic characteristics of PMD include increased placental thickness and multiple cystic areas within the placenta with either an absence of blood flow or with low venous Doppler signals (Vaisbuch et al., 2009). The differential diagnosis of multicystic placental lesions with the presence of a live fetus include partial molar pregnancy, multiple hematomas, chorioangioma Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome and PMD. Chorioangiomas are well circumscribed masses within the placenta and they are characterized by the presence of a single feeding vessel with the same pulse rate as the umbilical cord (Zalel et al., 2002). Invasive prenatal testing is required for the exclusion of partial molar pregnancy and Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome (Vaisbuch et al., 2009). Definitive diagnosis of PMD is based on the pathologic examination of the placenta. Histology reveals aneurysm or dilated blood vessels that may be thrombosed. The stem villi are edematous and enlarged with thick-walled vessels, without trophoblastic proliferation (Pawoo and Heller, 2014). This case report highlights the significance of the early detection of PMD, illustrates the pitfalls in differential diagnosis and provides valuable insights regarding PMD management in a clinical setting.

Background Despite the increasing role of ultrasound, structured ultrasound teaching is only slowly being integrated into the curricula of medical schools and universities all over Europe. Aim To survey the current situation at European universities regarding the integration of ultrasound in student medical education and to report on models of student ultrasound training from selected European universities. Methods A questionnaire survey focusing on the implementation of curricular ultrasound education was sent out to the 28 presidents of the national ultrasound societies of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB), who were asked to distribute the questionnaires to the medical universities of their countries. Results Overall, 53 questionnaires were returned from 46 universities in 17 European countries. In most of the universities (40/46 universities, 87%), the theoretical background of ultrasound is taught. However, in only a minority of universities is ultrasound integrated in anatomy courses (8/46 universities, 17%) or basic science courses (16/46 universities, 35%). Practical skills in ultrasound are taught in 56% of the universities (26/46 universities) and tested in a practical exam in seven of the responding universities (15%). The number of hours in which ultrasound was taught ranged from one to 58 (mean, seven). The respondents reported that lack of time and limited faculty funding were major hurdles. Conclusion According to our survey, only a minority of European universities has integrated ultrasound into the preclinical curriculum thus far. Future EFSUMB initiatives will continue to promote the introduction of ultrasound as an integrative part of the core curriculum of student medical education, and the preparation of proper teaching material.

Dear Colleagues, Europe is severely hit by the virus SARS-CoV-2 and most countries report increasing numbers of people affected by COVID-19. WHO has declared it a pandemic, many countries have introduced severe restrictions on travelling and thousands of people around Europe are in quarantine. Currently, the most severely affected European country is Italy, which also experienced some of the first European cases.

Objective To investigate the clinical relevance of an isolated echogenic cardiac focus (iECF) as a marker for trisomy 21 using a large second-trimester collective including a low-risk subgroup. Materials and Methods We retrospectively evaluated 1 25 211 pregnancies from 2000-2016 and analyzed all iECF cases with regard to chromosomal anomalies. It consisted of an early second-trimester collective from 14+0-17+6 weeks (n=34 791) and a second-trimester anomaly scan collective from 18+0-21+6 weeks. Two a priori risk subgroups (high and low risk) of the latter were built based on maternal age and previous screening test results using a cut-off of 1:300. Likelihood ratios (LR) of iECF for the detection of trisomy 21, trisomy 13, trisomy 18 and structural chromosomal anomalies were estimated. Results In total, 1 04 001 patients were included. An iECF was found in 4416 of 1 02 847 euploid fetuses (4.29%) and in 64 of 557 cases with trisomy 21 (11.49%) giving a positive LR of 2.68 (CI: 2.12-3.2). The sensitivity was 11.5% at a false-positive rate of 4.29% (CI:4.17-4.42) with p≤0.01%. In the high-and low-risk subgroups, the prevalence of iECF was comparable: 5.08% vs. 5.05%. The frequency of trisomy 21 was 0.39%, 98/24 979 vs 0.16%, 69/44 103. LR+was 3.86 (2.43-5.14) and 2.59 (1.05-4). For both subgroups the association of iECF with trisomy 21 was statistically significant. The prevalence of structural chromosomal anomalies in the second-trimester anomaly scan collective was 0.08% (52/68 967), of which 2 showed an iECF. Conclusion The detection of an iECF at the time of 14+0-21+6 weeks significantly increases the risk for trisomy 21 in the high-risk and in the low-risk subgroups and does not statistically change the risks for trisomy 13/18 or structural abnormalitie.