Medical Ultrasonography最新文献

Aim: The purpose of this study was to analyze the features of conventional ultrasound (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE).

Material and methods: We retrospectively analyzed the US images (grayscale, color Doppler and CEUS) of the patients with histopathologically confirmed HEHE in our hospital from March 2015 to August 2021 who had underwent a US investigation.

Results: A total of 13 patients were reported during the study period (seven men, aged from 23 to 62 years, with an average age of 40 years). The unifocal, multifocal, and diffuse lesions were 2, 9, and 2, respectively. Five patients (5/13) had liver involvement of both lobes, and eight (8/13) patients had only right lobe involvement. The maximum diameter of the lesions ranged from 1.9 to 7.0 cm. The grayscale US of HEHE mainly showed multiple hypoechoic lesions (n=9) near the capsule of the right lobe of the liver, with well-defined margins (n=7), accompanied by a hypoechoic halo (n=3) or capsule retraction (n=4) and calcification (n=8). Color Doppler US can detect blood flow in the lesion (n=8). CEUS was performed in five patients (5/13). The enhancement pattern of CEUS varied in the arterial phase, mainly including rim-like hyper-enhancement (n=2) and inhomogeneous hypo-enhancement (n=2), but was approximately the same in the portal venous phase and the late venous phase, both showing varying degrees of regression.

Conclusions: The grayscale US and CEUS seem to provide some reference value for diagnosing HEHE.

Lateral epicondylitis (LE) is a common orthopedic problem. It is a not life-threatening condition and does not cause severe disability, but it is a burden in everyday life. This paper focuses on this area and provides guidance on how to effectively perform US examination of the lateral part of the elbow. We will provide recent evidence on LE with particular emphasis on the role of the ultrasound in diagnosis, treatment, and disease management and we will exemplify the pathology with representative cases.

Aims: Viscosity is an important mechanical property directly linked to the shear wave dispersion within tissues. The purpose of this study was to establish the normal viscosity value of the parotid gland (PG) and submandibular gland (SMG) in a group of healthy subjects, using the novel Viscosity Plane-wave UltraSound (ViPLUS) technique, and to assess its potential dependence on gender and age.

Material and methods: The study group included a total of 49 healthy volunteers (median age 31, 65% females) prospectively examined between February 2021 and March 2021. The viscosity of both PG and SMG was measured using the new Aixplorer MACH 30 ultrasound system (SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France) equipped with a curvilinear C6-1X transducer. The mean value of three valid measurements was considered (quantified in Pa.s).

Results: The mean viscosity value for the PG was 2.13±0.23 Pa.s, significantly lower than the mean viscosity value of the SMG 2.44±0.35 Pa.s (p<0.0001). A negative low correlation between SMG viscosity and age was found (rho=-0.38, p=0.006). Viscosity values of the SMG were significantly lower in the age group between 35-77 years (2.12±0.35 Pa.s) than in the age groups 25-34 years (2.52±0.36 Pa.s), and 20-24 years (2.53±0.24 Pa.s), respectively (p<0.05). Viscosity values of both salivary glands did not differ significantly between gender groups.

Conclusions: Supersonic ViPLUS represents an innovative and useful non-invasive method to assess the viscosity of the parotid and submandibular glands. Age is a potential confounding factor in the evaluation of normal SMG viscosity.

Recent literature has shown that various carotid plaque features, other than stenosis, contribute to plaque vulnerability. Features such as surface morphology and plaque composition with distinct components (e.g. intraplaque hemorrhage, lipid core) have been associated with the increased risk of future cerebrovascular events. Ultrasonography constitutes the first line modality for the assessment of carotid disease and has traditionally been used to grade stenosis with high accuracy. Recenttechnological advances such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography increased the diagnostic yield of ultrasound in assessing the morphology of carotid plaques. The purpose of this review is to present the available literature on ultrasound elastography of the atherosclerotic carotid. Strain and shear wave elastography allow for the characterization of plaque components, thus indicating its nature and importantly, the plaque's vulnerability. Shear wave elastography indices appear morerobust than Strain indices. Overall, elastography is a feasible method to distinguish vulnerable carotid plaques. There is, however, a need for larger and longer prospective controlled clinical studies in order to validate elastography as an imaging modality used for the detection of unstable carotid plaques.

Complex regional Pain Syndrome (CRPS) is a complex disease with articulate impact on the quality of life and its management is challenging. Ultrasound imaging can identify/assess different musculoskeletal structures that might have role in its pathogenesis. We present two cases of CRSP in whom B-mode ultrasonography and sonoelastography showed rigid retinacula associated with the symptomatology. Both patients were also/successfully treated with Fascial Manipulation®.