European journal of ultrasound : official journal of the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology最新文献

The physics of ultrasound and mechanisms of artifacts are well-known. In this report, an unusual manifestation of mirror-image artifact (MIA) that is completely different from the real image of the structure, demonstrated during a routine abdominal ultrasonographic examination, is described. There have hitherto been no reports on the ultrasonographic appearance of such a MIA.

The cardiosplenic syndromes represent a complex set of abnormalities of the thorax and viscera resulting from abnormal folding of the embryo during early development. Anomalies of venous development include interruption of inferior vena cava (IVC), and in combination with situs inversus referred to as the polysplenia syndrome. We present a 23-year-old male previously diagnosed as having a persistent left IVC on venography whereas ultrasonographic examination clearly demonstrated interrupted IVC with azygos continuation along with situs inversus.

Purpose: This study has two objectives: (1) using ultrasound (US) as a tool for measuring subcutaneous (S) and intra-abdominal; preperitoneal (P) and visceral (V) fat thickness. (2) Assessing the relationship between selected anthropometrical variables and US-measured S, P and V fat also evaluating the contribution of abdominal fat accumulation in development of liver steatosis. Methods and materials: Sixty-eight obese patients (aged 43.9±9.3 years) and 40 non-obese subjects (aged 34.03±9.0 years) were recruited to this study. Height, weight (W), waist (WC) and hip circumferences were measured. Body mass index (BMI) and waist to hip ratio (WHR) were calculated. A linear-array probe (7.5 MHz) was used to measure S and P. A convex-array probe (3.5 MHz) was used for measuring V and assessing liver fatty infiltration. Results: In 45 (66%) patients, there were diffuse liver fatty changes. Liver steatosis showed significant correlation with V (r=0.57), P (r=0.38) and S (r=0.37). It also correlated with W (r=0.52), BMI (r=0.6), WC (r=0.45) (P<0.0001). V positively correlated with BMI (r=0.62), W (r=0.55), WC (r=0.52) and WHR (r=0.33). P correlated with WC (r=0.29), WHR (r=0.36) and W (r=0.34), but not with BMI, height and age. A significant correlation was found between S and BMI (r=0.73), W (r=0.65), and WC (r=0.57) (P<0.0001). Conclusion: Obese patients showed thicker S, P, and V. Liver steatosis correlates significantly with both anthropometrical data; BMI, WHR, WC, and W, and with abdominal V, P, and S fat. V fat can be used as a good predictor for the possibility of different metabolic disorders and liver disturbances as steastosis.

In this review, methodological aspects of cerebral perfusion imaging with ultrasound signal enhancing agents are described. The various experimental bases, contributing to the understanding of the phenomena are summarised and the resulting human investigation techniques are illustrated. By means of harmonic imaging technology, human cerebral perfusion can be depicted as a two-dimensional scan. The two major principles of contrast measurement are analysis of the bolus kinetics and analysis of the refill kinetics. Using the bolus method, hypoperfused areas in stroke patients can be visualised and parameter images of wash-in and wash-out curves can be generated off-line. The recently developed theory on the refill kinetics of UCA enables us to calculate quantitative parameters for the description of the cerebral microcirculation, being less affected by the depth dependence of the contrast effect. These parameters, too, can be visualised as parameter images. The ultrasound methods described in this article represent new minimal-invasive bedside techniques for analysing brain perfusion. Although their development is still in an early state, the potential of these ultrasound technologies to compete with perfusion-CT, perfusion-MRI or single-photon emission computed tomography in the diagnostic arsenal of brain imaging techniques is becoming evident.