Medical ultrasonography最新文献

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Aim: This meta-analysis aims to assess the accuracy of superb microvascular imaging (SMI) using the vascular index (VI) in the diagnosis of breast tumors.

Material and methods: PubMed, Web of Science, Embase, Cochrane Library and Scopus were searched for relevant literature by two researchers until March 14, 2023. The Stata Version 16.0 software was utilized to compute the pooled values for sensitivity (Sen), specificity (Spe), positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and diagnostic odd ratios (DOR). Heterogeneity among the included literature was assessed using the I2 statistic and Q test. Conducting influence analysis was used to ensure the robustness of the pooled conclusions and the Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test to assess publication bias. We also performed the summary receiver operating characteristic (SROC) curve.

Results: Six studies included 1200 breast lesions. The ultimate results in the VI of SMI are as follows: The pooled Sen was 0.80 (95% confidence interval(CI), 0.75-0.85), the pooled Spe was 0.68 (95% CI 0.63-0.74), the pooled PLR was 2.54 (95% CI 2.07-3.12), the pooled NLR was 0.29 (95% CI 0.22-0.38), the pooled DOR was 8.91 (95% CI 5.62-14.13), and the area under the SROC (AUC) was 0.81.

Conclusion: The application of SMI using VI may have the potential to benefit the patients and represents a valuable quantitative parameter of SMI for the diagnosis of breast neoplasms.

Background: Echogenic content in the fetal gallbladder is rather an incidental finding during third-trimester ultrasonography. The etiology, clinical course, and prognosis of this condition are still unclear. We highlight the demographic, clinical and ultrasound characteristics of our patients with echogenic content in the fetal gallbladder.

Methods: This is a retrospective single-center study conducted at the University of Medicine and Pharmacy Cluj-Napoca, Romania, between March 2022 and April 2023. All pregnant patients who were admitted to the hospital and had echogenic content in the fetal gallbladder detected by ultrasound were identified. The clinical and ultrasonography parameters were obtained from the databases of the ultrasound units and the medical records of the patients.

Results: Four patients were found to have echogenic content in the fetal gallbladder. The mean maternal age at diagnosis was 27.5 years (range 25-31). All patients had singleton pregnancies. The mean gestational age at diagnosis was 36.5 weeks (range 35-40). In all cases, the predominant aspect of echogenic content on ultrasound was multiple hyperechogenic foci; additionally, in one case, sludge was also observed. The mean maximal length of the hyperechogenic foci was 3.375 mm (range 1.6-5.4). All fetuses were delivered at full term, either vaginally or by cesarean section. The mean weight at birth was 3082.5 g (range 2800-3450). In all four cases, the EC disappeared spontaneously at birth. Neither of the four newborns displayed digestive symptoms or complications during the follow-up.

Conclusion: The EC is still a medical mystery since little is known about its etiology and long-term outcome. Many cases are likely to be undetected until after birth; therefore, fetal gallbladder examination should be included in the US routine. The condition appears to be benign, and usually, it improves naturally after birth. Consecutively, asymptomatic newborns with EC can be managed through a wait-and-see approach.

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Aim: In the recent years, with the increase in the caesarean section rate, the incidence of caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) has shown a significant upwards trend. We propose a novel, simple and rapid clinical and ultrasound (US) classification scoring system to assist in the early diagnosis of CSP.

Material and methods: A total of 385 patients with CSP were included in the study. All patients were given a comprehensive score, iincluding clinical data (whether HCG is consistent with gestational age and vaginal bleeding) and US findings (linea a and b, gestational sac morphology, the presence of primitive cardiac tube beat, and color Doppler aspect). The scores were analysed by ROC curve analysis, and sensitivity and specificity were calculated.

Results: A score of 4 has a specificity of 91.7% and a sensitivity of 95.6% in diagnose CSP. The area under the ROC curve was 0.973.

Conclusion: This scoring system may be a reliable tool for the early diagnosis of CSP and has the characteristics of being simple and rapid. For patients with a total score of ≥4 points, CSP is suggested, and early clinical treatment can be carried out, while patients with a score of less than 4 points can temporarily retain pregnancy and be closely followed up.

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Aim: This study aims to evaluate the educational quality of videos related to ultrasound guided dry needling (USDN). Material and method: This study was designed as a cross-sectional study. A video-based search was performed on the YouTube online video sharing platform (https://www.youtube.com/) using the English keywords "ultrasound guided dry needling" on May 10, 2023. The first 60 videos were analysed.

Result: The first 60 videos were analyzed, and 32 videos that met the inclusion criteria were included in the study. The content of the videos mostly consisted of technical knowledge regarding Ultrasound Guided Dry Needling (USGDN) (56.3%) and information (43.84%). The total mean DISCERN score was 26.9 ± 12.0 (range 17 to 54). The total mean JAMA Score was 2.4 ± 0.7 (range 2 to 4). There was no significant differences between the groups, according to the DISCERN, and JAMAs scores (all p>0.05). The video with the highest DISCERN score belongedto The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) channel.

Conclusion: There is a significant amount of content available on YouTube regarding USDN; however, unfortunately, most of the existing content is of low quality and carries the risk of misinformation. Healthcare professionals should be aware of the importance of health-related information on YouTubeand strive to provide high-quality, accurate, and up-to-date content.

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Since the publication of Professor Reinhard Graf's work in 1980, Graf's technique has become the gold standard for screening Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH) in many European and non-European countries. Despite the fact that it is supported by robust literature evidence, there is criticism about its reliability and reproducibility, questioning severalaspects of the diagnostic procedure. There is, however, concern, based on recent literature, about the quality and reliability of the published data, which may, in many cases, be based on inadequate scans, and therefore any conclusions drawn have to be questioned. The aim of this review is to demonstrate the most important aspects of Graf's technique, to clarify the potential sources of confusion and to flag up the most common errors and mistakes made, either during the ultrasound examination, or during the reporting procedure. Furthermore, this review can be used as a guide for reviewers and editors and should help to enhance the quality control of publications on this subject.