Introduction: We developed a mobile phone logbook application called LogMyScan. The study objectives were to evaluate a number of domains as per the technology acceptance model. Methods: A prospective pilot cohort study was conducted using a version of LogMyScan and reported according to Statement on Reporting of Evaluation studies in Health Informatics. Prospective participants were directed to a website which provided information and links. Participants were recruited via email distribution lists and social media. A task list was provided, which included entering simulated scan data and navigating the application, prior to completing a questionnaire. Questions were aligned to technology acceptance model domains, and Cronbach’s alpha was calculated to assess reliability. Results: There were 49 participants and 7 were unable to complete the image upload and editing step. Levels of agreement for usability, educational and governance/security aspects were generally good. The desirability of existing and proposed features was high for images and video clip handling, feedback and reflection and less for motivational notifications and benchmarking. Comments identified some limitations and issues on the Android platform. Cronbach’s alpha demonstrated good to excellent reliability: 0.87 (95% confidence interval, 0.79–0.91) for usability, educational and governance/security and 0.86 (95% confidence interval, 0.78–0.91) for desirability of existing and proposed features. Conclusion: There was generally high perceived ease of use, usefulness, attitude towards use and behavioural intention to use LogMyScan. Further research is needed to evaluate LogMyScan for future iterations, allowing recruitment of a larger number of participants and evaluating user expectations prior to using, and at timed intervals after using.

Introduction: Pregnancy-induced hypertension is a global public health problem, worsening maternal morbidity and mortality. Renal complications have additional devastating consequences on maternal morbidity. Renal Doppler ultrasound is a valuable tool in the management of pregnancy-induced hypertension. It helps in the assessment of renal hemodynamics with the potential to monitor renal function and predict complications. We aimed to determine the relationship between the renal volume and arterial Doppler velocimetric indices in pregnancy-induced hypertension and matched normotensive controls. Methods: Following the documentation of demographic and basic obstetric characteristics of 150 women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and an equal number of their matched controls, a 3.5-MHz convex transducer was used to measure the maternal renal volumes and renal arterial Doppler velocimetric indices (peak systolic velocity, end diastolic velocity, resistive index, pulsatility index, and systolic–diastolic radio). Student’s t-test and linear regression were used to determine the differences and relationships between the quantitative variables among women with pregnancy-induced hypertension and their controls. The association chi-square test was used to determine the association between the qualitative and categorical variables. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered significant. Results: The mean renal volume of pregnancy-induced hypertension patients is higher bilaterally when compared to normotensive women. The mean peak systolic velocity and resistive index in pregnancy-induced hypertension patients were significantly higher compared to normotensives (59.13 ± 13.5 vs 54.19 ± 9.8 cm/s; p < 0.001) and (0.74 ± 0.2 vs 0.68 ± 0.3). Conclusion: The maternal renal volume and peak systolic velocity of the renal arteries are significantly higher in women with pregnancy-induced hypertension compared to normotensives.

Objective: To study the relationship between qualitative and semi-quantitative assessment of diffuse liver steatosis in ultrasound. Patients and Methods: This was a case-control study, conducted in the Campus University Hospital Centre of Lome (Togo) over a 3-month period. It included 40 patients showing ultrasonographic signs of diffuse hepatic steatosis and 40 volunteers (healthy) whose echostructure and echogenicity of the hepatic parenchyma were normal. The B-mode sonographic grade of steatosis was compared with the hepatorenal echogenicity gradient and the ultrasound attenuation coefficient. Results: The average body mass index in patients was 30.87 ± 4.65 kg/m2 versus 24.25 ± 4.30 kg/m2 in the healthy group (p < 0.00001). Hepatomegaly was observed in 57.5% of the patients versus 17.5% in the healthy group (p = 0.0005). The average hepatorenal echogenicity ratio was 1.18 ± 0.07 in patients versus 1.01 ± 0.03 in the healthy group (p < 0.00001). The average difference in hepatorenal echogenicity was 9.30 ± 3.41 dB in patients versus 1.52 ± 1.07 dB in the healthy group (p < 0.00001). The attenuation of ultrasound waves increased with the grade of steatosis, averaging 0.08 ± 0.23 dB/cm/MHz (ranging from −0.33 to 0.61 dB/cm/MHz) in patients versus −0.24 ± 0.21 (ranging from −0.69 to 0.19 dB/cm/MHz) in the healthy group (p < 0.00001). Conclusion: Despite the advancements in new ultrasound technologies today, qualitative methods continue to be effective for the detection of hepatic steatosis and could prove useful in monitoring the effectiveness of hepatic steatosis treatment.

Background: Thyroglossal duct cysts (TGDCs) within the tongue base represent a challenge for the surgeon and are often the cause of recurrence. Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate diagnostic performance of high-resolution ultrasound in TGDCs within the tongue base, compared to intraoperative findings. Furthermore, accuracy with which the detection of thyroid tissue in parts of the thyroglossal duct cyst was possible was investigated. Methods: A total of 50 patients with TGDCs were examined by high-resolution ultrasound. Every thyroglossal cystic lesion was examined for the presence of solid thyroid tissue with colour-coded duplex sonography and evaluated according to American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines. Ultimately, 45 of the 50 patients underwent surgery (Sistrunk procedure). Results: In 38/50 patients (76%), TGDCs were seen in their typical distal location inferior to the hyoid. Four patients (8%) had the thyroglossal duct cyst superior and inferior to the hyoid. The TGDC remnants only in the tongue base were recognised in 16% of cases (8 patients). Histological specimens revealed thyroid tissue within the TGDCs in 23 of the 45 patients (49%). Thyroid tissue was diagnosed preoperatively in 15 patients (65%) X2(1, N = 23) = 2.13, p = 0.144. One patient exhibited suspicious features for thyroid cancer, which was confirmed histologically as papillary thyroid carcinoma. Conclusion: High-resolution ultrasound represents quick, safe and reliable imaging for TGDCs on both sides of the hyoid bone (inferior and superior) with an impact on surgical planning. Furthermore, thyroid tissue within TGDCs can be revealed preoperatively and assessed for suspicious features.

Background: Ultrasonography is an established and reliable method for assessing the spleen. Because of variation due to genetic and other environmental factors including malaria endemicity, interpretation of spleen sizes requires a knowledge of the normal reference range for a given population. This study aimed to identify spleen size reference ranges across age groups of healthy controls to serve as a baseline to assess changes in spleen size in patients with sickle cell disease. Methods: Using a cross-sectional study design, spleen size was measured in healthy people of different age groups and steady-state sickle cell disease patients (children and adults) using abdominal ultrasonography. Using the age-group-specific reference values obtained from the controls, spleens were classified into small, normal size or enlarged among the sickle cell disease patients. Results: The study consisted of 109 (34.8%) healthy controls and 204 (65.2%) steady-state sickle cell disease patients. The spleen was visualised in all the controls ( n = 109) and in 107 (52.4%) sickle cell disease patients. Using cut-off values for spleen length among the controls across age groups (< 5 years (5.0–7.0 cm); 5–9 years (5.5–8.5 cm); 10–14 years (6.0–11.0 cm) and ⩾ 15 years (7.0–12.5 cm)), spleen size was classified as small ( n = 18/204; 8.87%), normal ( n = 68/204; 33.3%) and enlarged ( n = 21/204; 10.3%) among the sickle cell disease patients. Conclusion: Model-based age-group reference ranges and percentile curves for splenic dimensions based on ultrasonography among normal controls in North-Eastern Nigeria were established and may be of value in assessing spleen sizes among sickle cell disease patients living in malaria-endemic regions of Africa.

Introduction: Hydatid disease of the male breast has not been documented in literature to date. Case report: We present a case of a 46-year old male patient who presented with a painful breast lump for 1 year. On imaging, it was suspicious for hydatid disease of the breast and was successfully diagnosed preoperatively on fine-needle aspiration cytology and histopathology as hydatid disease of the breast. Discussion: Incidence of hydatid disease of the breast contributes to a minute number of total cases of hydatid disease. Male breast hydatid disease was unknown prior to this report. We did find similarities in the imaging features of our case and the ones described for female breasts. On ultrasonography, we found it analogous to the ‘water-lily’ sign which has been described in hepatic hydatic cysts. Conclusion: Keeping hydatid disease as a differential in the setting of a suspicious breast mass even in a male patient proved to be rewarding as it negated the need for further cross-sectional imaging and a definitive diagnosis could be sought based on the fine-needle aspiration cytology and histopathological findings.

Introduction: Breast pseudoaneurysm is a rare complication following breast interventional procedures such as core biopsies and vacuum-assisted biopsies. The occurrence of pseudoaneurysm increases with the conditions of increased breast vascularity like cancer, pregnancy and lactation. Case Report: We present two cases of pseudoaneurysm formation secondary to core biopsies of the breasts. The first patient was an 82-year-old female patient who presented with breast swelling and bruising after multiple clinical core biopsies of the left breast. Our second patient was a 47-year-old lady who presented with a palpable lump following ultrasound-guided core biopsies of the left breast. Ultrasound showed hypoechoic pulsating area with evidence of internal colour flow in connection with a vessel in both cases. Imaging appearances were in keeping with a pseudoaneurysm of the breast. Discussion: Most pseudoaneurysms are secondary to interventional procedures in the breast. Common clinical presentation is a pulsatile, palpable mass at the biopsy site soon after the biopsy or later. On B mode imaging, it presents as a well-circumscribed mass of mixed echogenicity. Typical waveform in spectral Doppler and ‘yin-yang’ sign in colour Doppler is demonstrated with a turbulent internal flow. There are different treatment options to manage pseudoaneurysms of the breast. Conclusion: Pseudoaneurysm of the breast should be considered if a patient presents with a breast mass/lump close to a recent biopsy site. On clinical examination, pulsatility of the mass should raise the suspicion and definite diagnosis can be made with spectral and colour Doppler US scan.

Introduction: Biceps tendinosis, a milder form on the spectrum of biceps tendinopathy, is unusual at the distal insertion site. Patients with distal biceps tendinosis may experience pain and dysfunction which could inhibit their activities of daily living. Diagnosis of distal biceps tendinosis may be facilitated with ultrasonography (US), whose accuracy is increasingly recognised, while providing many benefits over other modalities, like magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Case report: We report two cases of distal biceps tendinosis diagnosed by US with clinical details, imaging findings and patient management. Two patients present with elbow pain after nontraumatic activities. US revealed a thickened distal biceps tendon with mild heterogeneous hypoechogenicity without fibre disruption or retraction in both cases and evidence of hyperemia on Doppler with surrounding bursal fluid in case 2. Discussion: Tendinosis has variable aetiologies, but US commonly cannot differentiate among these; therefore, patient’s clinical history is the major component in determining the underlying cause. Chronic progression of tendon pathology leads to partial and full thickness tears. Tendinosis has a characteristic US appearance. US has many benefits and clinicians may use this modality to assess possible pathological structures with ease, convenience and efficiency compared with using MRI. Conclusion: Distal biceps tendinosis may present with clinical symptoms of pain and decreased activities of daily living, and may progress to more severe forms of tendinopathy. Early diagnosis is beneficial for the treatment outcomes of this condition. US can visualise distal biceps tendinosis with reliability, providing an alternative diagnostic technique with many benefits compared with MRI.

The Morel-Lavallée lesion is an internal degloving injury seen after a traumatic force. These lesions are frequently missed on initial presentation, leading to a delay in diagnosis and increased morbidity. We present a case of a 52-year-old male who suffered an injury to his right thigh and was ultimately diagnosed with a Morel-Lavallée lesion after the third emergency department visit. Point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) assisted with making the diagnosis and expediting proper care.

Introduction: The aim of this article is to assess any association between the risk of miscarriage and the distance of an early pregnancy from the closest tubal ostia. Methods: Early pregnancy was defined as a gestational sac ⩽ 15 mm mean diameter within the upper half of the endometrial cavity. The shortest distance from the gestational sac (chorionic membrane) to the closest tubal ostia and the interostial distance were measured. The outcomes for pregnancies at varying distances from a tubal ostia were compared using Fisher’s exact test. The receiver operating characteristic curve assessed the distance from the sac to the ostia as a predictor of miscarriage. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used to assess any difference in the distance from the ostia between women who miscarried and those who did not. Results: Outcome data were available for 212/230 patients. The relative risk of miscarriage was 5/6 (83%) in the group with gestational sacs ⩽ 4 mm from the ostium versus 70/206 (34%) > 4 mm ( p = 0.02). The proportion of miscarriages was 11/20 (55%) if the distance from the tubal ostium was ⩽5 mm versus 64/192 (33%) if >5 mm ( p = 0.08). There was a good neonatal outcome for those with live births. Conclusion: The risk of first trimester miscarriage was high with early pregnancies implanted close to the tubal ostia, but this finding did not reach statistical significance. A larger study is needed to establish whether 4 or 5 mm could be used as a clinically useful criterion for defining early pregnancies that are at increased risk of miscarriage.