Effect Of Ultrasound Research Articles

Artificial intelligence for ultrasonographic detection and diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma

The effectiveness of ultrasonography (USG) in liver cancer screening is partly constrained by the operator’s expertise. We aimed to develop and evaluate an AI-assisted system for detecting and classifying focal liver lesions (FLLs) from USG images. This retrospective study incorporated 26,288 USG images from 5444 patients to train YOLOv5 model for FLLs detection and classification of seven different types of FLLs, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), focal fatty infiltration, focal fatty sparing (FFS), cyst, hemangioma, and regenerative nodules. AI model performance was assessed for detection and diagnosis of the FLLs on a per-image and per-lesion basis. The AI achieved an overall FLLs detection rate of 84.8% (95%CI:83.3–86.4), with consistent performance for FLLs ≤ 1 cm and > 1 cm. It also exhibited sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing malignant FLLs from other benign FLLs at 97.0% (95%CI:95. 9–98.2) and 97.0% (95%CI:95.9–98.1), respectively. Among specific FLL types, CCA detection rate was at 92.2% (95%CI:88.0–96.4), followed by FFS at 89.7% (95%CI:87.1–92.3), and HCC at 82.3% (95%CI:77.1–87.5). The specificities and NPVs for regenerative nodules were 100% and 99.9% (95%CI:99.8–100.0), respectively. Our AI model can potentially assist physicians in FLLs detection and diagnosis during USG examinations. Further external validation is needed for clinical application.

Effectiveness of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of temporomandibular joint disorders: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Temporomandibular disorders (TMDs) pose diagnostic challenges, and selecting appropriate imaging modalities is crucial for accurate assessment. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic accuracy and efficacy of ultrasonography (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in identifying TMDs. A comprehensive meta-analysis was conducted, including studies that compared US and MRI for TMJ disorder assessments. Fixed-effects models were utilized to calculate pooled odds ratios (ORs) and relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Heterogeneity was assessed using the chi-squared test and I2 statistic. Newcastle-Ottawa scale was used to assess the methodological quality of the studies included. Six studies were included, involving a total of 281 participants. The meta-analysis demonstrated that MRI was statistically somewhat better than US in identifying TMJ disorders. The summary OR was 0.64 (95% CI: 0.46-0.90), and the summary RR was 0.80 (95% CI: 0.68-0.95). Heterogeneity among the studies was low (χ2 = 2.73, df = 5, p = .74; I2 = 0%). Demographic variables revealed variations in sample size, gender ratio and mean age across the studies. This meta-analysis provides evidence that MRI may be more effective than US in diagnosing TMDs. However, the study is limited by the small number of included studies and variations in demographic variables and study designs. Future research with larger samples and standardised protocols is essential to confirm and strengthen these findings. Understanding the diagnostic accuracy of MRI and US for TMJ disorders will aid clinicians in making informed decisions for effective TMJ disorder assessments and patient management.

Effectiveness of Ultrasonography- and Fluoroscopy-Guided Caudal Epidural Injections in the Management of Chronic Lumbar Disc Disease: A Retrospective Comparative Study.

Lumbar disc disease is one of the common causes of lower back pain caused by a change in the structure of the normal disc. Most of the time, disc disease happens as a result of aging and the normal breakdown that occurs within the disc.Caudal epidural steroid injections are the popular treatment for patients with chronic low back pain that does not respond to conservative management. A retrospective survey was administered to 160 patients whohad received caudal epidural injections forchronic low back pain in the past, but only 74 patients who completed the scheduled follow-ups were included in the study. They were divided into two groups based on the imaging modality used for guiding the caudal epiduralsteroid injections, either ultrasonography or fluoroscopy, and thenassessed for improvement in pain on the Numeric Rating Scale (NRS), forfunctional improvement on theOswestry Disability Index (ODI), and for satisfaction on the North American Spine Society Patient Satisfaction Scale (SSPSS). Mean NRS pain scores improved significantly from baseline at 6.78 and 7.00 in the fluoroscopy and ultrasound groups, respectively, to 2.03 and 2.16 at 12 weeks post-procedure. The difference between the groups was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). The Oswestry Disability Index was completed at baseline and after 12 weeks of follow-up for both groups, and there was no significant difference between the two groups; the fluoroscopy group's mean Oswestry Disability Index scores were 52.4 at baseline and 35.6 at 12 weeks, whereas the scores for the ultrasound group were 50.3 at baseline and 37.9 at 12 weeks. Conversely, patient satisfaction as assessed using the SSPSS rose in both groups up to 12 weeks (p > 0.05). The ultrasound- and fluoroscopy-guided caudal epidural steroid injections proved equally effective in easing the pain, disability, and satisfaction levels of patients with chronic lower back pain.

Effectiveness of Ultrasonography and Computed Tomography in the Diagnosis of Acute Appendicitis

Background: Acute appendicitis is the acute inflammation of the appendix vermiformis and is one of the leading emergency intra-abdominal surgeries. In the study; To investigate the effectiveness of preoperative USG and CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. Materials and Methods: The records of 332 patients who underwent appendectomy between March 2018 and March 2023 were retrospectively examined. Gender, age, USG and CT reports and patho-logy results of the patients were recorded. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive values of USG and CT in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis were calculated separately. Results: The pathology result was reported as acute appendicitis in 312 of the patients, and was evaluated as normal in 20 of them. The pathology result of 254 of 261 patients, whose CT results were evaluated as compatible with acute appendicitis, was reported as acute appendicitis. In 7 patients, it was found to be normal appendicitis. Of 28 patients whose CT results were incompatible with acute appendicitis, the pathology result was positive in 18 and negative in 10. Pathology results of 96 patients whose USG results were compatible with acute appendicitis; Acute appendicitis was found in 90 patients and normal appendix in 6 patients. Pathology results of 41 patients whose USG results were evaluated as negative; It was reported to be compatible with acute appendicitis in 36 cases and normal in 5 cases. Conclusions: In our study, both the sensitivity and specificity of CT were found to be superior to USG, consistent with the literature. Researching IT effectiveness; We think that prospective studies com-paring teleradiology reports and the reports of radiologists working in hospitals would be useful.

WILL ULTRASOUND REVOLUTIONIZE THE DIAGNOSIS OF PNEUMONIA IN CHILDREN POPULATION?

Worldwide, pneumonia continues to be a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children. The effectiveness of ultrasonography and chest radiography (X-ray) in the diagnosis of pneumonia in pediatric patients is examined in this paper. Although chest radiography has been the norm for years, worries about radiation exposure have made ultrasonography seem like a viable substitute. This article assesses both modalities' diagnostic value and accuracy through a review of recent literature. As a potentially useful diagnostic tool, ultrasonography has advantages over chest X-rays, including accessibility, low radiation dose, and similar diagnostic efficacy. Ultrasound has a high negative predictive value, which indicates that it may be used to efficiently triage patients in emergencies. The decision between an X-ray and an ultrasound ultimately comes down to several variables, such as patient condition, physician skill, and equipment accessibility. However, considering ultrasound's safety record and diagnostic capabilities, it offers a strong substitute for diagnosing pneumonia in kids, in line with WHO guidelines to reduce radiation exposure in this susceptible group.

Evaluation of Ultrasonographic Characteristics and Cytopathological Results of Autonomous (Toxic) Thyroid Nodules

Objective: Thyroid nodules are clinical conditions frequently encountered in the community and known to be associated with malignancy. In this study, it was aimed to determine the frequency of malignancy in patients diagnosed with autonomous (toxic) thyroid nodules (TTN). In addition, the effectiveness of ultrasonography (US) findings and fine needle aspiration (FNA) results in helping the diagnosis of malignancy were investigated.
 Methods: Autonomous (Toxic) thyroid nodule was diagnosed by presence of nodule on US in the presence of subclinical or clinical hyperthyroidism, and detection of suppression in other parts of the gland with increased activity in scintigraphy performed with Tc‐99m pertechnetate. Fine-needle aspiration was performed on patients who were considered suspicious by ultrasonographic findings. The histopathology results of the patients who were found to need surgical resection were recorded.
 Results: 125 patients with autonomous (toxic) thyroid nodules were included in the study. Of the patients, 82 (65.60%) were female and 43 (34.40%) were male, with a mean age of 63.55±11.13 years. Ultrasonography revealed that nodules were less frequently located in the isthmus and left upper pole. The presence of microcalcification was detected in 8 (6.4%) patients. Histopathologically, the nodules of 2 (1.6%) patients were found to be malignant. Both patients who were found to be malignant were male and their nodules were seen as hypoechoic on US.
 Conclusions: Since it has been seen that autonomic (toxic) thyroid nodules may be related to malignancy, careful evaluation of male patients with a hypoechoic image on US was considered appropriate.

The effectiveness of Ultrasonography in predicting Pregnancy, litter size, viability and embryo/fetal age during first three months post-breeding in Iraqi Shami does

This study aimed to evaluate the detection efficiency of early pregnancy by Ultrasonography (ULR), and also to estimate embryo/fetal age, embryo/fetal count and viability in Iraqi Shami Does. Thirty-five mature does were synchronized using progesterone intra-vaginal sponges for 12 days+ equine Chorionic Gonadotrophin (eCG) (500 IU) after sponge removal. Estrus was detected after two days in only 28 does, therefore, seven does were excluded. All does (n=28) were mated by four breeding bucks. Pregnancy monitoring, embryo/fetus number and developmental stages during the does gestation was carried out with B-mode Transrectal ultrasonography (TRU) (Transrectal probe) on days 17-29 Post mating (PM) using a frequency 6.5-7.5 MHz, and Transabdominal Ultrasonography (TAU) with in days 36-90 PM with frequency 3.5-4.5 MHz. The results revealed that the conception rate was 85.71% (24/28) and the Predicted +value (PV+), Predicted –value (PV-), Sensitivity (Se), Specificity (Sp) and Accuracy (Acc) were low on days 17-20 PM, which recorded 50%, 4%, 12%, 25% and 14% respectively. All detection values between 96-100% in the period 36-50 PM, and 100% in day 60 onwards. The efficiency in predicting embryo/fetal number was 77% and 75% for estimating twin (Se) and singleton (Sp) pregnancies in days 23-29 PM, and the detection parameters reached 100% by day 60, then declined after that. The embryo/fetal viability was 60% in the early gestational period and reached 96% between days 36–50 PM, and 100% after that. The correlation coefficient between embryo/fetal age and Embryonic Vesicle Diameter (EVD), Crown Rump Length (CRL) and Trunk Diameter (TD) was recorded as very high in different gestational ages; R² = 0.99 (23-42 days), R² = 0.97 (23-60 days) and R² = 0.98 (42-90 days). It was concluded that ULR (by using both TRU and TAU) was reliable, very efficient and safe to predict pregnancy, embryo/fetal count, viability and age between days 23-35 and 35-90 PM, respectively.

Effectiveness of ultrasonography and shear wave sonoelastography in Sjögren syndrome with salivary gland involvement.

PurposeThis study investigated the effectiveness of major salivary gland ultrasonography (MSGUS) using a new grading system and shear wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating the major salivary glands of patients with Sjögren syndrome (SjS).MethodsThis prospectively-designed cross-sectional study included 49 SjS patients and 49 healthy controls. Major salivary glands were examined with gray-scale ultrasonography and SWE. A new grading system for salivary glands was developed using MSGUS findings. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of MSGUS and shear wave velocity (SWV) values were investigated. The MSGUS grading system and SWV values were evaluated together by logistic regression analysis. A cutoff value of SWE for salivary glands was determined.ResultsThe sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of MSGUS were 69.4%, 73.5%, 72.3%, and 70.6% for the submandibular gland and 69.4%, 65.3%, 66.7%, and 68.1% for the parotid gland, respectively. The mean SWV values of the parotid and submandibular glands were significantly higher in SjS patients than in controls (P<0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV for the submandibular gland (cutoff, 1.95 m/s) and the parotid gland (cutoff, 2.39 m/s) were 69.4%, 52%, 59.1%, and 63% and 82.7%, 83.7%, 83.5%, and 82.8%, respectively. Adding SWE to the parotid gland grading system increased the sensitivity and specificity (sensitivity, 82.7%; specificity, 83.7%).ConclusionEvaluating the salivary glands using MSGUS with a new grading system and SWE may contribute to the diagnosis of SjS. The combination of MSGUS and SWE may be a promising tool for diagnosing SjS.

Patterns of Treatment Failure after Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy or Adjuvant Radiotherapy in Patients with Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer

Objective: To identify patterns of therapy failure after radiotherapy in Chinese patients with locally advanced cervical cancer (LACC). Methods: A retrospective study was conducted at a Chinese hospital from June 2012 to July 2018. All analyses were done using SPSS 26. Results: 105 patients with treatment failure were included. After a median follow-up of 27 months (range 10–82), the 3-year survival rate after therapy failure was 19.4%. In multivariate analysis, squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC-Ag) <4 ng/mL (p < 0.001) and disease-free interval >12 months (p = 0.013) showed significant survival benefits. We identified 3 types of failure: distant lymph node metastasis (n = 50), hematogenous metastasis (n = 53) and pelvic failure (n = 48). Most metastatic para-aortic lymph nodes (PALN) were inferior to the level of left renal hilum (84.8%, n = 28). A total of 80% of patients with supraclavicular lymph nodes (SCLN) metastasis ignored imaging on supraclavicular region. For solitary SCLN or lung metastasis, the prognosis was better than that combined with other sites failure, respectively (p = 0.005; p = 0.001). Many patients with central sites recurrence received insufficient doses of intracavitary brachytherapy (IBT) for low tolerance to pain. Conclusion: The distribution of metastatic PALN is asymmetrical and optimizing clinical target volume to minimize toxicity of para-aortic radiation is necessary. The effect of ultrasonography as preliminary screening and follow-up means on SCLN metastasis can be expected. Pain management and psychological interventions are essential for patients receiving IBT.

Effectiveness of Ultrasonography and Fluoroscopy as a Therapeutic Imaging Modality in the Management of Lumbar Facet Arthropathy: A Prospective Interventional Study

Introduction: Lumbar zygopophyseal joint arthropathy is one of the most common causes of low back pain in adults. Historically, C-arm/Fluoroscopy has served as an image guidance tool in intra-articular facet joint injections, however, now ultrasound guidance is also a viable option. Aim: To compare ultrasonography (USG) and fluoroscopy as therapeutic imaging modalities on the basis of time taken for intervention, Visual Analogue Score (VAS) for pain and Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) at 2, 4 and 12 weeks. Materials and Methods: It was a prospective interventional study done with 62 patients who satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and randomly allocated into two groups. Groups were compared on the basis of time taken for intervention, VAS for pain and ODI at 2, 4 and 12 weeks. Independent sample student t-test/Mann-Whitney U test was applied. Confidence Interval (CI) was taken as 95% and p-value &lt;0.05 was considered as statistically significant. Results: Ultrasound group had mean age of 37.75 years (range, 23-55 years) while that of Fluoroscopy group was 40.05 years (range, 20-54 years). Ultrasonography group was quicker by about 135 seconds (2 minutes and 15 seconds) which was statistically significant but there was statistically no difference between the two groups in terms of VAS and ODI at 2 weeks (p=0.107 and 0.893, respectively), 4 weeks (p=0.383 and 0.408, respectively) and 12 weeks (p=0.343 and 0.777, respectively) at 95% CI. Conclusion: Both groups showed significant improvement in pain and disability after 2, 4 and 12 weeks however there were no significant differences in pain and functional improvement between USG guided transverse view and fluoroscopy guided intra-articular lumbar facet joint injection. Therefore, USG guided transverse approach is quicker, feasible and minimises exposure of radiation to patient as well as interventionist

The effect of ultrasonography in predicting medical treatment success in ectopic pregnancy

Ectopic pregnancy(EP) treatment success in a single dose methotrexate(MTX) regimen is decided by more than 15% β chorionic gonadotropin reduction in the 4th and 7th days after administration of 50mg/m² of medication. In our study , it was aimed whether the EP mass size less than 40mm detected by ultrasonography and the adnexal side on which it was located had an effect on the success of medical treatment.&#x0D; 82 patients who treated with MTX included in the study were divided into two groups as those with a single dose of methotrexate success and those without (n:67 vs n:15). The groups were compared in terms of age, parity, size of adnexal mass detected on ultrasonography, and the side of ectopic pregnancy.&#x0D; The parity rates and the age of patients were similar in both groups(p = 0.615, p = 0.742). Although the average adnexal mass size was found to be higher in the patient group those single dose MTX treatment was not successful, there was no statistically significant difference(p = 0.098). Ectopic pregnancy was frequently observed on the right side in the group in which the medical treatment was successful(66 % vs 33%).&#x0D; The effect of ectopic pregnancy mass size on medical treatment prediction was investigated in cases with mass size less than 40mm. Ectopic pregnancy mass size, even if it is below 40 mm, may not indicate the medical treatment success.

The Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in the Diagnosis of Spontaneous Hourglasslike Constriction of Peripheral Nerve in the Upper Extremity

To investigate the ultrasonographic characteristics in hourglasslike constriction of peripheral nerve in the upper extremity and to evaluate the value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis. Nineteen patients with hourglasslike constriction of peripheral nerve in the upper extremity underwent ultrasonography and the results were compared with surgery. The ultrasonographic characteristics, the accurate rate, and the relation between the ultrasonography and surgery were analyzed. There were 22 affected nerves involved in 19 patients, including 17 radial neuropathies, 4 median neuropathies, and 1 musculocutaneous neuropathy. The accuracy rate of ultrasonography in diagnosing hourglasslike constriction of upper limb nerve was 87.93%. Ultrasonography showed that the constriction sites were completely consistent with the operation. The ultrasonography characteristics of hourglasslike constriction of upper limb nerves were hourglasslike nerve incompleteness or complete constriction, and the nerves at both ends were thickened, and no compression structure was seen around. All lesions with complete constriction diagnosed by ultrasonography were treated with resection of the lesion with or without graft. In addition, 71.43% with incomplete constriction were treated with neurolysis, and 28.57% with resection of the lesion with direct repair. Ultrasonography could be used as a routine noninvasive examination for hourglasslike constriction of upper limb nerves. Ultrasonography suggests that resection of the lesion rather than neurolysis should be considered in the treatment of complete constriction. For patients with clinical symptoms, ultrasonography showed local nerve enlargement but no constriction; clinicians should be prompted to explore carefully during operation to avoid missing nerve hourglasslike constriction.

Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in Detection of Loco-regional Recurrence of Breast Cancer

Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in Detection of Loco-regional Recurrence of Breast Cancer

The effectiveness of ultrasonography and ultrasonographic elastography in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome and evaluation of treatment response after steroid injection

PurposeTo evaluate if there is a place for ultrasonography (US) and ultrasonographic elastography (UE) in the diagnosis and follow up of carpal tunnel syndrome treatment. Materials and methodsThe study was performed on 25 patients (study group) and 17 healthy volunteers (control group). Measured US and UE criteria were median nerve area (MNA), proximal median nerve area (pMNA), difference between MNA and pMNA (dMNA) and strain values of carpal tunnel content (CTC) and median nerve (MN). Patients in the study group were also evaluated using the Boston questionnaire, Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) and nerve conduction studies. Thirty-three wrists in 23 patients received steroid injections on the same day. Patients were re-evaluated 6 weeks after steroid injection. To establish a cut off value for MNA, ROC Curve analysis was used. ResultsMean MNA and dMNA values in the control group were significantly lower than in the study group (7.33 ± 1.31 vs. 15.44 ± 5.10; p=<0.05 and 1.58 ± 0.75 vs. 8.91 ± 4.93; p = 0.00 respectively). Median nerve and CTC strain indices were significantly higher in the control group (p = 0.00 and p = 0.036). Decrease in MNA and dMNA values after treatment was meaningful (p = 0.00).While there was no significant change in MN elasticity, mean CTC strain index of the study group (4.680 ± 1.664) decreased significantly after treatment (3.621 ± 1.054 p = 0.002). This decrease in the CTC index was more pronounced in patients who benefited from treatment (p = 0.001). ConclusionUS and UE can be useful in the diagnosis of CTS and its response to treatment, if used together with clinical and electroneurophysiological tests.

Effectiveness of ultrasonography and nerve conduction studies in the diagnosing of carpal tunnel syndrome: clinical trial on accuracy

BackgroundThe aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of two diagnostic tests routinely used for diagnosing carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS)—ultrasonography (US) and nerve conduction studies (NCS)—by comparing their accuracy based on surgical results, with the remission of paresthesia as the reference standard.MethodsWe enrolled 115 patients, all of the female gender with a high probability of a clinical diagnosis of CTS. All patients underwent US and NCS for a diagnosis and subsequent surgical treatment. As a primary outcome, the accuracy of the US and NCS diagnoses was measured by comparing their diagnoses compared with those determined by the surgical outcomes. Their accuracy was secondarily evaluated based on before and after scores of the Boston Carpal Tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ).ResultsOverall, 104 patients (90.4%) were diagnosed with CTS by the surgical reference standard, 97 (84.3%) by NCS, and 90 (78.3%) by US. The concordance of NCS and surgical treatment (p < 0.001; kappa = 0.648) was superior to that of US and surgical treatment (p < 0.001; kappa = 0.423). The sensitivity and specificity of US and NCS were similar (p = 1.000 and p = 0.152, respectively: McNemar’s test). The BCTQ scores were lower after surgery in patients diagnosed by both US and NCS (p < 0.001and p < 0.001, respectively: analysis of variance).ConclusionsUS and NCS effectively diagnosed CTS with good sensitivity but were not effective enough to rule out a suspicion of CTS.Trial registrationThis study was registered at September, 10 th, 2015, and the registration number was NCT02553811.

The Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in Detecting Emergent Pediatric Pathologies and Requirement for Additional Imaging Techniques: A Retrospective Study

The Effectiveness of Ultrasonography in Detecting Emergent Pediatric Pathologies and Requirement for Additional Imaging Techniques: A Retrospective Study

Effect of Ultrasonography on Student Learning of Shoulder Anatomy and Landmarks.

Ultrasonography is becoming more common in clinical use, and it has been shown to have promising results when introduced into medical school curricula. To determine whether the use of ultrasonography as an educational supplement can improve osteopathic medical students' confidence and ability to locate 4 specific shoulder anatomical landmarks: the coracoid process, the transverse process of T1, the long head of the biceps within the bicipital groove, and the supraspinatus tendon. In this randomized controlled study, first-year osteopathic medical students aged 18 years or older were recruited and randomly assigned to a group with exposure (ultrasonography group) or without exposure (control group) to an ultrasonography machine. First, a survey was administered to measure students' baseline knowledge of shoulder anatomy, confidence in palpation skills, and opinion on anatomical landmark identification teaching methods. Next, students were shown presentations on shoulder anatomy and allowed to practice locating and palpating the specified landmarks. Students in the ultrasonography group were also given instruction on the use of ultrasonography. All students were asked to locate each of the 4 specified anatomical landmarks and then given a follow-up survey. A Mann Whitney U test was used to compare the confidence of the students before and after the intervention. A secondary analysis was performed to compare the degree of deviance from the correct position of the specified anatomical landmark between the ultrasonography and control groups. P values less than .05 were considered statistically significant. Sixty-four students participated. Compared with the control group, students in the ultrasonography group had a greater increase in confidence after the session in their ability to locate the coracoid process, bicipital tendon, and supraspinatus tendon (P=.022, P=.029, P=.44, respectively). Students in the ultrasonography group were also able to more accurately palpate the landmarks than those in the control group, with a significant difference in accurate palpation of the bicipital tendon (P=.024). The ultrasonography group showed less deviation with palpation of the other 3 landmarks compared with the control group, but these results were not significant (P=.50, P=.82, P=.29, respectively). Ultrasonography in the preclinical curriculum may improve medical students' confidence in and accuracy of palpation.

Factors influencing the outcome from ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration of benign thyroid cysts and partially cystic thyroid nodules: A multicenter study

ABSTRACTPurpose: The effect of ultrasonography (US)-guided fine-needle aspiration (US-FNA) for the collapse of benign cystic thyroid nodules is still unclear. This study aimed to assess the positive response rate following US-FNA of the cystic component of thyroid cysts and of partially cystic thyroid nodules (PCTNs), and to evaluate the factors influencing the outcome. Methods: From June to December 2013, seven radiologists at seven institutions prospectively performed US-FNA on 320 cystic thyroid nodules in 320 patients. Among them, 179 underwent at least one follow-up US examination following US-FNA of the cystic component at each institution by the same radiologist. A variety of factors, including US features of cystic thyroid nodules, the characteristics of the aspirates, and the follow-up US findings, were analyzed. Results: Of 179 cystic thyroid nodules, there were 53 thyroid cysts and 126 PCTNs. Of 179 cystic thyroid nodules, no malignancies were detected. On follow-up US, the mean size reduction rate of the cystic component was 31.9%, and 102 out of 179 thyroid nodules (57.0%) were assigned to the response group. On univariate analysis, the degree of aspiration and time interval between US-FNA and the final follow-up US showed the significant differences between the response and no response groups. On multivariate analysis, the only factor that influenced the outcome was the nodule type. The cystic component’s positive response rate after simple aspiration was higher in the thyroid cysts than in the PCTNs. Conclusions: US-FNA may be effective at collapsing the cystic components of benign thyroid cysts and PCTNs.

Effect of ultrasonography and fluoroscopic guidance on the incidence of complications of cannulation in extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: a retrospective observational study

BackgroundIt remains unclear which cannulation method is best in cases of extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) for out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. We assessed the effect of ultrasound- and fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous cannulation on complication incidence, compared with that using only ultrasound guidance.MethodsThis single-center retrospective observational study was conducted between February 2011 and December 2015. In the comparison group, cannulation was performed percutaneously using only ultrasound guidance. In the exposure group, cannulation was performed percutaneously using fluoroscopy and ultrasound guidance. The primary outcome assessed was whether complications were associated with cannulation. The secondary outcome assessed was the duration from hospital arrival to extracorporeal circulation start. In addition to univariate analysis, multivariate logistic-regression analysis for cannulation complications was performed to adjust for several presumed confounders.ResultsOf the patients who underwent ECPR, 73 were eligible; the comparison group included 50 cases and the exposure group included 23 cases. Univariate analysis showed that the complication incidence of the exposure group was significantly lower than that of the comparison group (8.7 vs. 36.0%, p = 0.022). Duration from hospital arrival to extracorporeal circulation start was almost the same in both groups (median, 17.0 min vs. 17.0 min, p = 0.92). After multivariate logistic regression analysis, cannulation using fluoroscopy and ultrasound was independently associated with a lower complication incidence (adjusted odds ratio, 0.14; p = 0.024).ConclusionsUltrasound- and fluoroscopy-guided cannulation may reduce the complication incidence of cannulation without delaying extracorporeal circulation start.

Effectiveness of Sonography in Detecting Clinically Occult Femoral Hernias

The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of sonography for femoral hernia diagnosis in patients with suspected hernias that were not evident on clinical examination. A retrospective analysis was performed for 39 consecutive patients with 40 clinically suspected but occult femoral hernias and subsequent positive sonographic findings for femoral hernias. Clinical records for all patients were reviewed for surgical outcomes and clinical follow-up. Surgical findings of a femoral hernia sac or widened femoral canal requiring repair, with symptomatic relief after the procedure, were considered positive for a femoral hernia. Among the 40 femoral hernias examined by sonography, 33 of 40 groins underwent surgical exploration, with 32 true-positive findings and 1 false-positive finding on sonography. The false-positive case was an inguinal hernia at surgery. The accuracy of sonography was 96.9% for those with surgical correlations. The remaining 7 patients did not undergo surgery but had clinical follow-up. This study confirms high diagnostic accuracy of sonography for nonpalpable femoral hernias in symptomatic groins compared to surgical findings.