Three-dimensional Ultrasound Imaging Research Articles

External rotation of the foot position during plantarflexion increases non-uniform motions of the Achilles tendon

The medial (GM) and lateral gastrocnemius (GL) muscles enroll to different subparts of the Achilles tendon to form their respective subtendons. The relative gastrocnemii activations during submaximal plantarflexion contraction depend on the position of the foot in the horizontal plane: with toes-in, GL activation increases and GM activation decreases, compared to toes-out. The aim of the current study was to investigate whether horizontal foot position during submaximal isometric plantarflexion contraction differently affects the subtendons within the Achilles tendon in terms of their (i) length at rest, and (ii) elongations and distal motions. Twenty healthy subjects (12 females/8 males) participated in the study. Three-dimensional ultrasound images were taken to capture subtendon lengths at rest and during isometric contraction. Ultrasound images were recorded at the distal end of Achilles tendon (sagittal plane) during ramped contractions and analyzed using a speckle tracking algorithm. All tasks were conducted twice, ones with toes-in and ones with toes-out. At rest, subtendons were shorter with toes-out compared to toes-in. During contraction, the GM subtendon lengthened more in toes-out, compared to the GL, and vice versa (all p <.01). The relative motions within the Achilles tendon (middle minus top layers displacements) were smaller in toes-in compared to toes-out (p =.05) for higher contraction intensity. Our results demonstrated that the horizontal foot position during plantarflexion contraction impacts Achilles tendon motions. Such findings may be relevant in a clinical context, for example in pathologies affecting Achilles tendon motions such as Achilles tendinopathy.

Automatic femoral articular cartilage segmentation using deep learning in three-dimensional ultrasound images of the knee

ObjectiveThis study aimed to develop a deep learning-based approach to automatically segment the femoral articular cartilage (FAC) in 3D ultrasound (US) images of the knee to increase time efficiency and decrease rater variability. DesignOur method involved deep learning predictions on 2DUS slices sampled in the transverse plane to view the cartilage of the femoral trochlea, followed by reconstruction into a 3D surface. A 2D U-Net was modified and trained using a dataset of 200 2DUS images resliced from 20 3DUS images. Segmentation accuracy was evaluated using a holdout dataset of 50 2DUS images resliced from 5 3DUS images. Absolute and signed error metrics were computed and FAC segmentation performance was compared between rater 1 and 2 manual segmentations. ResultsOur U-Net-based algorithm performed with mean 3D DSC, recall, precision, VPD, MSD, and HD of 73.1 ​± ​3.9%, 74.8 ​± ​6.1%, 72.0 ​± ​6.3%, 10.4 ​± ​6.0%, 0.3 ​± ​0.1 ​mm, and 1.6 ​± ​0.7 ​mm, respectively. Compared to the individual 2D predictions, our algorithm demonstrated a decrease in performance after 3D reconstruction, but these differences were not found to be statistically significant. The percent difference between the manually segmented volumes of the 2 raters was 3.4%, and rater 2 demonstrated the largest VPD with 14.2 ​± ​11.4 ​mm3 compared to 10.4 ​± ​6.0 ​mm3 for rater 1. ConclusionThis study investigated the use of a modified U-Net algorithm to automatically segment the FAC in 3DUS knee images of healthy volunteers, demonstrating that this segmentation method would increase the efficiency of anterior femoral cartilage volume estimation and expedite the post-acquisition processing for 3D US images of the knee.

Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Imaging under Optimized Nuclear Regression Reconstruction Algorithm in the Diagnosis Vaginal Delivery and Cesarean Section on the Anal Sphincter Complex of Primiparas.

This study was aimed at analyzing the injury of anal sphincter (AS) for primipara caused by the vaginal delivery and cesarean section under the guidance of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound images. A total of 160 patients who underwent postpartum reexamination were enrolled as the research subjects, including 80 cases of natural delivery (group A) and 80 cases of cesarean section pregnant women (group B), all of whom underwent three-dimensional ultrasound imaging scans. At the same time, an optimized kernel regression reconstruction (KRR) algorithm was proposed for the enhancement of ultrasound images. It was found that the running time after acceleration by the graphics processing unit (GPU) was obviously superior to that of a single-threaded CPU and a multithreaded CPU, showing statistical differences (P < 0.05). The thickness of the proximal and distal external AS in group A was much thinner in contrast to that in group B, showing statistical difference (P < 0.05). Therefore, the 3D ultrasound image based on the optimized KRR algorithm can accurately assess the morphology of AS injury in primipara, and the adverse effect of natural delivery on the AS complex in primipara was greater than that of cesarean section.

A 3D multi-modal intelligent intervention system using electromagnetic navigation for real-time positioning and ultrasound images: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

BackgroundAnesthesia, nerve block, therapeutic injections, and biopsies all require an acupuncture intervention. However, traditional two-dimensional (2D) ultrasound-guided needle puncture is often challenging and therefore requires the use of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound images to accurately identify and evaluate the patient’s anatomical structure.MethodsIn this study, a 3D multi-modal intelligent intervention system using electromagnetic navigation for real-time positioning and ultrasound images was described. A total of 190 cases requiring puncture were randomly divided into control (conventional 2D ultrasound instrument) and experimental (novel 3D ultrasound imedis9000) groups. The advantages and disadvantages of the two puncture methods were prospectively analyzed in the 190 cases, and the feasibility of electromagnetic navigation real-time positioning was compared to ultrasound imaging.ResultsThis study included 190 cases from two centers that required puncture treatment and were randomly assigned to the control (conventional 2D ultrasound instrument; n=95) or the experimental (novel 3D ultrasound imedis9000; n=95) groups. Percutaneous vascular puncture, percutaneous biopsy, percutaneous bile duct puncture, thoracic paravertebral nerve block, and sciatic nerve block operations were performed separately. The results indicated that the puncture time and number of trials in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group. No significant difference was identified in the basic vital signs between the two groups before and after surgery. The success rate of the novel 3D ultrasound imedis9000 was 100%, and the success rate of the conventional 2D ultrasound instrument was 95.7%. Furthermore, the results also showed that the novel 3D ultrasound imedis9000 and the matching coaxial positioning channel puncture needle had low pain, good toughness and strength, and great convenience.ConclusionsThe new 3D multi-modal intelligent intervention system using electromagnetic navigation real-time positioning and ultrasound images has significant advantages compared with conventional 2D ultrasound in terms of puncture time, number of trials, operation difficulty, and convenience, and is worthy of further promotion and use in clinics.Trial RegistrationBeijing Municipal Drug Administration, 20190015.

3-D High Frequency Ultrasound Imaging by Piezo-Driving a Single-Element Transducer.

Electronic scanning of two-dimensional (2-D) arrays and mechanical or freehand scanning of one-dimensional (1-D) arrays have been mostly utilized for conventional three-dimensional (3-D) ultrasound (US) imaging. However, the development of 2-D arrays and the hardware systems are complicated and expensive, while freehand systems with positioning sensors and mechanical systems are mostly bulky. This article represents a novel scanning strategy for achieving high-quality 3-D US imaging with a high-frequency single-element transducer. A 42-MHz US transducer with a compact structure was designed and fabricated, which was excited in the 2-D vibration by a tubular piezoelectric actuator. A dedicated imaging system was set up and both B-mode and 3-D US imaging of a custom wire phantom have been carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed transducer. Compared to the results obtained with the motorized linear translation stage, the reconstructed images obtained by the proposed resonance scanning method are accurate, demonstrating the feasibility of 3-D US imaging with a vibrating single-element US transducer.

Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging of the jawbone for ridge width determination: A pre-clinical ex-vivo porcine study

ObjectiveTwo-dimensional (2D) ultrasound can conveniently evaluate focal regions of interest intraorally. When a larger field of view to spatially reference remote anatomical structures is needed, 3D ultrasound (US) is desirable but not currently available. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the feasibility of constructing 3D US jawbone for ridge width determination. MethodsSeven porcine hemi-mandibles with the overlying soft tissues secured by a holding frame with fiducial markers were US scanned on the facial and lingual sides separately. The facial and lingual volumes were combined into a single volume, which was registered with the matched cone beam computed tomography (CBCT) scan. On 8 to 11 cross-sections, 4 measurements of the facio-lingual ridge width at 3, 6, 9 and 12 mm from the bone crest were performed by two calibrated examiners. A mixed model was used to estimate the differences between US and CBCT readings. ResultsInter-examiner correlation was 0.978 and 0.987 for US and CBCT measurements, respectively. The ICCs between the US and CBCT was between 0.890 and 0.988 at the defined sites. The estimated mean differences ranged from -0.38 ± 0.69 (95% CI: -0.66 to -0.11) mm to 0.07 ± 0.93 (95% CI: -0.23 to 0.38) mm. The normalized root mean square deviation ranged between 4.50% and 7.89% for all levels except the 3 mm level, which ranged between 5.51% (in molars) and 11.16% (in premolars). ConclusionsThis study demonstrates the feasibility of generating US jawbone in 3D for ridge width measurements. Clinical SignificanceCommonly applied 2D ultrasound images are limited by a small field of view and an unknown coordinate system due to the nature of free hand scans. Novel 3D ultrasound acquisition enables referencing anatomical structures in a larger field of view and could become a promising tool to supplement CBCT.

Robust and durable aberrative and absorptive phantom for therapeutic ultrasound applications.

Phase aberration induced by soft tissue inhomogeneities often complicates high-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) therapies by distorting the field and, previously, we designed and fabricated a bilayer gel phantom to reproducibly mimic that effect. A surface pattern containing size scales relevant to inhomogeneities of a porcine body wall was introduced between gel materials with fat- and muscle-like acoustic properties-ballistic and polyvinyl alcohol gels. Here, the phantom design was refined to achieve relevant values of ultrasound absorption and scattering and make it more robust, facilitating frequent handling and use in various experimental arrangements. The fidelity of the interfacial surface of the fabricated phantom to the design was confirmed by three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. The HIFU field distortions-displacement of the focus, enlargement of the focal region, and reduction of focal pressure-produced by the phantom were characterized using hydrophone measurements with a 1.5 MHz 256-element HIFU array and found to be similar to those induced by an ex vivo porcine body wall. A phase correction approach was used to mitigate the aberration effect on nonlinear focal waveforms and enable boiling histotripsy treatments through the phantom or body wall. The refined phantom represents a practical tool to explore HIFU therapy systems capabilities.

The usefulness of three-dimensional ultrasound fusion imaging for precise needle placement in liver thermal ablation: a phantom and an in vivo simulation study

Purpose To investigate the value of three-dimensional ultrasound fusion imaging (3DUS-FI) in real-time guiding needle placement by phantom models and in vivo simulations. Materials and methods Two radiologists (beginner and expert) performed needle placement using two-dimensional ultrasound (2DUS) and 3DUS-FI, respectively. In the phantom study, single-needle placement was performed by puncturing the center point of each ball and assessed based on the specimen length. Multiple-needles placement was performed by placing three needles in each ball, and their locations were confirmed by computed tomography, and assessed based on the distance deviation between needles. In the in vivo simulation study, simulated-needle placement was performed by placing a virtual ablation needle in each liver tumor and assessed by the simulated ablative cover rate and margin. Results Specimen length was significantly longer with 3DUS-FI in the beginner, whereas no significant difference was observed in the expert (2DUS vs. 3DUS-FI: beginner, 14.60 ± 2.60 mm vs. 16.25 ± 1.38 mm, p = .017; expert, 16.78 ± 1.40 mm vs. 16.95 ± 1.15 mm, p = .668). Distance deviation between needles was significantly smaller with 3DUS-FI (2DUS vs. 3DUS-FI: beginner, 25.06 ± 16.07 mm vs. 3.72 ± 1.99 mm, p < .001; expert, 11.70 ± 7.79 mm vs. 2.89 ± 1.52 mm, p < .001). The simulated ablative cover rate and margin were significantly larger with 3DUS-FI for the beginner, whereas only the latter was significantly larger for the expert (2DUS vs. 3DUS-FI: beginner, 73.55 ± 8.73% vs. 81.38 ± 11.84%, p = .001, 0.82 ± 0.97 mm vs. 2.65 ± 1.23 mm, p < .001; expert, 78.60 ± 9.91% vs. 83.24 ± 11.69%, p = .059; 1.65 ± 1.15 mm vs. 2.95 ± 1.13 mm, p < .001). Conclusions 3DUS-FI is useful for real-time guiding precise needle placement and may be further use to improve the efficacy of liver thermal ablation.

Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Images in the Assessment of Bladder Tumor Health Monitoring under Deep Learning Algorithms.

This study was aimed at exploring the application value of three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound based on deep learning and continued nursing health monitoring (CNHM) mode in promoting the recovery of bladder cancer patients after surgery. 60 patients who underwent muscular noninvasive superficial bladder cancer and bladder perfusion treatment were selected as the research objects. The patients were randomly divided into two groups: an experimental group (30 cases) and a control group (30 cases). Patients in the experimental group adopted a CNHM model during the bladder perfusion treatment. The patients in control group adopted ordinary health monitoring mode. All patients underwent 3D ultrasound examination, and all images were processed using the convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm. All patients were followed up regularly within 12 after the treatment. The imaging data, quality of life, satisfaction, and complications of the two groups of patients were compared in each time period. The ultrasound image processed by the CNN algorithm was clearer than that processed by the original method, showing higher image quality and more prominent lesion features. After 12 months of health monitoring intervention, the overall health status, scores of various functional areas, and score of functional subscales of the experimental group were greatly higher than those of the control group, and the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions in the experimental group was much lower than that in the control group, and the difference was statistically obvious (P < 0.05). The comparison of the recurrence rate between the two groups of patients in each time period was statistically significant. The satisfaction score of the experimental group was much higher than the score of the control group, showing statistically significant difference (P < 0.05). CNN algorithm showed high application value in 3D ultrasound image processing, and the CNHM model was very beneficial to the postoperative recovery of bladder cancer patients.

Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment Criteria for Adenomyosis Diagnostic: A Case Report

BACKGROUND : The MUSA (Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment) statement is a consensus statement on terms, definitions and measurements that may be used to describe and report the sonographic features of the myometrium using gray-scale sonography, color/power Doppler and three-dimensional ultrasound imaging. MUSA Adenomyosis ultrasound features : Asymmetrical thickening, fan shape shadowing, cyst, hyperechoic island, Echogenic sub endometrial lines and buds, trans lesion vascularity, Irregular junctional zone, Interrupted junctional zone. Classification and descriptions of the MUSA criteria for adenomyosis are presented : location, classification (diffuse/focal), cystic, layer involvement (type), extent, size of the lesion.

The Value of Three-Dimensional Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging under Backpropagation Algorithm in the Local Staging Diagnosis of Cervical Cancer

Based on three-dimensional tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) of the backpropagation algorithm, this study evaluated the consistency of three-dimensional TUI technology, pelvic examination, and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology in the local staging diagnosis of cervical cancer, aiming to explore the application value of TUI technology in local staging diagnosis of cervical cancer. The backpropagation algorithm was adopted to segment images, and 35 patients who were confirmed to be cervical cancer by tissue biopsy were included in this study. All selected patients underwent transvaginal TUI examination and pelvic MRI examination. Then, the 2010 Federation Internationale of Gynecologie and Obstetrigue (FIGO) was adopted to determine the clinical stage, and the K index and the percentage of consistency were calculated to evaluate the consistency between TUI and MRI. Comparison of tumor size measurements showed that obvious correlation could be found between MRI and three-dimensional TUI (r = 0.842; P &lt; 0.001), MRI, and clinical examination (r = 0.654; P &lt; 0.001) to the assessment of tumor size. In terms of parauterine invasion, there was a moderate consistency between pelvic examination and MRI (K = 0.413; 95% confidential interval (CI) = 0.085–0.762; the overall coincidence rate (OCR) = 78.0%), and there was good consistency between three-dimensional TUI and MRI (K = 0.655, 95% CI = 0.335–0.949; overall coincidence rate = 87.8%). In terms of vaginal infiltration, pelvic examination and MRI showed moderate consistency (K = 0.434; 95% CI = 0.119–0.733; the OCR = 74.2%), and three-dimensional TUI examination and MRI showed excellent consistency (K = 0.568, 95% CI = 0.274–0.881; the OCR = 81.9%). The accuracy of the backpropagation segmentation algorithm was 82%. The results revealed that the three-dimensional TUI technology and MRI showed a good consistency in assessing parauterine invasion of cervical cancer. When the tumor size was evaluated, there was a clear correlation between three-dimensional TUI scans and MRI. Therefore, three-dimensional TUI technology showed relatively high application value for the local stage of cervical cancer.

Ультразвуковая диагностика беременности в интерстициальном отделе маточной трубы. Современные подходы

The analysis of ultrasound elastography and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound imaging of suspected pregnancy in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube in three patients is presented. The following diagnoses were confirmed: interstitial pregnancy; first identified myomatous node with impaired trophism in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube in combination with menstrual disorders; incomplete miscarriage combined with a presence of myomatous node in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube simulating ectopic nidation. According to elastography, both the fertilized egg and myomatous nodes in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube appeared as stiff relative to the myometrium with clearly visualized contours. Three-dimensional ultrasound imaging with modalities including multiplanar reconstruction, tomography, omni-view, and “niche” contributed to verifying the diagnosis. Laparoscopy was performed in all patients. Interstitial pregnancy and incomplete miscarriage were histologically confirmed. Key words: compression elastography, ectopic pregnancy, pregnancy in the interstitial part of the fallopian tube, elastographic patterns, three-dimensional ultrasound imaging, ultrasound elastography

Diagnosis and management of non-communicating rudimentary horn pregnancy.

Non-communicating rudimentary horn pregnancy is a rare condition associated with serious complications and consequences. We reported a case of a 44-day non-communicating rudimentary horn pregnancy who was diagnosed by three-dimensional ultrasound (3D-US) and pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), followed by treatment via laparoscopic resection. The 3D-US and pelvic MRI scan showed a consistent result. Serious complications and consequences were avoided. Postoperative diagnosis showed that the malformation was classified as type IIc. For such diagnosis as a unicornuate uterus with a rudimentary horn, if there are no symptoms, it cannot be treated. Once pregnancy is in the rudimentary horn, 3D-US or MRI should be conducted to determine the implantation location of the pregnancy capsule and the operation should be performed as soon as possible to avoid uterine rupture. Laparoscopic surgery can be chosen in the early stage.

Extreme Learning Machine Denoising Algorithm-Based Transvaginal Three-dimensional Ultrasound Imaging on the Diagnosis Efficiency of Intrauterine Adhesions

The study was intended to eliminate the noise in three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound (3D-TVS) images and improve the diagnostic accuracy in intrauterine adhesion (IUA). The extreme learning machine (ELM) algorithm was introduced first for statement. One hundred and thirty cases of suspected IUA patients were taken as the research subjects. The denoising effects of ELM algorithm were evaluated in terms of mean square errors (MSE), peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR), and running time, and its diagnostic efficiency of IUA was identified from precise, specificity, and sensitivity. Furthermore, the support vector machine (SVM) algorithm was introduced for comparison. It was found that the MSE and PSNR of the ELM algorithm were 0.0021 and 64.5, respectively, and its average operation time was 11.22 ± 0.89s, that the MSE values of SVM algorithm and ELM algorithm were 0.0045 and 0.0021 and the PSNR values were 52.3 and 64.5, respectively, and that the average running time of SVM algorithm was 16.35 ± 1.33s, and the average running time of ELM algorithm was 11.22 ± 0.89s, superior to the SVM algorithm in denoising effects. Moreover, the ELM algorithm showed excellent diagnostic efficiency for patients with various degrees of IUA. In conclusion, ELM can effectively eliminate noise in 3D-TVS images and demonstrates excellent diagnostic efficiency on IUA, which is worthy of clinical application.

Deep Learning-Based Three-dimensional Transvaginal Ultrasound in Diagnosis of Intrauterine Adhesion

This study was aimed to enhance and detect the characteristics of three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound images based on the partial differential algorithm and HSegNet algorithm under deep learning. Thereby, the effect of quantitative parameter values of optimized three-dimensional ultrasound image was analyzed on the diagnosis and evaluation of intrauterine adhesions. Specifically, 75 patients with suspected intrauterine adhesion in hospital who underwent the hysteroscopic diagnosis were selected as the research subjects. The three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound image was enhanced and optimized by the partial differential equation algorithm and processed by the deep learning algorithm. Subsequently, three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound examinations were performed on the study subjects that met the standards. The March classification method was used to classify the patients with intrauterine adhesion. Finally, the results by the three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound were compared with the diagnosis results in hysteroscope surgery. The results showed that the HSegNet algorithm model realized the automatic labeling of intrauterine adhesion in the transvaginal ultrasound image and the final accuracy coefficient was 97.3%. It suggested that the three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound diagnosis based on deep learning was efficient and accurate. The accuracy of the three-dimensional transvaginal ultrasound was 97.14%, the sensitivity was 96.6%, and the specificity was 72%. In conclusion, the three-dimensional transvaginal examination can effectively improve the diagnostic efficiency of intrauterine adhesion, providing theoretical support for the subsequent diagnosis and grading of intrauterine adhesion.

Fetal Sacral Ratio: A Novel Method for Prenatal Sonographic Assessment of Sacral Abnormalities.

The sacral ratio (SR) was described as a postnatal X-ray-based method to detect sacral abnormalities and predict functional prognosis for fecal continence in children with anorectal malformations (ARMs). The present study aimed to describe a novel method of assessing sonographic fetal sacral ratio (f-SR) in a normal population of fetuses. Sixty three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound reconstruction images of the sacrum obtained from routine low-risk scans performed between 21 and 26 weeks of gestation served for measurement. The f-SR was calculated in a coronal view as the ratio between lines drawn at the upper and lower levels of the iliac bone and the 5th sacral vertebra. Bland-Altman plots assessed the inter- and intrareader variabilities of measurements. The f-SR in the normal population of fetuses was 0.913 (±0.094). During the study period, three cases with ARM were examined and had a mean f-SR of 0.55. There was good repeatability of measurements and between readers' agreement. The present study introduces a novel prenatal sonographic f-SR that can be reliably calculated on prenatal 3D ultrasound with good reliability and reproducibility. Future research will identify the clinical significance of f-SR abnormalities in ARM and their long-term impact on continence.

Three-dimensional echo decorrelation imaging of percutaneous microwave ablation in liver tumors

In a pilot clinical study, patients underwent standard-of-care percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) of liver tumors with monitoring by three-dimensional (3D) ultrasound echo decorrelation imaging. An MWA needle (Amica) was inserted into each tumor, guided by x-ray computed tomography (CT) and ultrasound imaging. A matrix ultrasound array (4Z1c array with Acuson SC2000 scanner, Siemens) was positioned on patients’ skin near the MWA needle insertion point. Paired sequential complex in-phase/quadrature (IQ) echo volumes (inter-frame time 5–20 ms) were acquired throughout ablation at 10–20 s intervals, then processed to form 3D echo decorrelation images. Respiratory motion was estimated and compensated using a theoretical model that separates motion- and heat-induced echo decorrelation. Volumetric B-mode images constructed from the same IQ data were rigidly registered to follow-up contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) image volumes, recorded within 4 days after MWA. Specified registration transformations were then applied to cumulative 3D echo decorrelation maps, which were compared voxel-wise to ablation zones segmented from MR images. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analysis indicated effective prediction of local ablation by motion-compensated echo decorrelation imaging. Comparison with subsequent follow-up MR images tested the ability of 3D echo decorrelation imaging to predict any incomplete treatment or recurrence of treated tumors.

A Neuroligin Isoform Translated by circNlgn Contributes to Cardiac Remodeling.

[Figure: see text].

Prenatal Diagnosis of Fetal Cleft Lip and Palate with Three-Dimensional Ultrasound Information Technology

Objective. To evaluate the three-dimensional ultrasound paper cleft lip and palate deformities in applications in prenatal diagnosis. Methods. 25 cases of cleft lip and palate fetus, 20–32 weeks of gestational age, with the maternal age of 22–44 years, were examined by prenatal ultrasound in our hospital; conventional two-dimensional ultrasound examination was performed after a cleft lip, and the application of three-dimensional ultrasound imaging surface and a transparent imaging showed the alveolar process and the palate of the fetus. Also, the results of two-dimensional ultrasound and postnatal (or after induction) results were compared. Results. Of the 25 cases, there were 6 cases of postpartum induction or simply unilateral cleft lip, 17 cases of unilateral cleft palate, and two cases of bilateral cleft lip palate. There was no significant ( P &gt; 0.05 ) difference of two- and three-dimensional ultrasound detection rate of pure cleft lip; two-dimensional ultrasound cleft palate detection rate was 36.8% (7/19), and three-dimensional ultrasound cleft palate detection rate was 89.5% (17/19). The two methods showed a statistically significant ( P &lt; 0.05 ) difference in the detection rate of cleft palate. Conclusion. Three-dimensional ultrasound can significantly improve the diagnostic accuracy of prenatal cleft palate.

Three-dimensional ultrasound assessment of effects of therapies on carotid atherosclerosis using vessel wall thickness maps

We present a new method for assessing the effects of therapies on atherosclerosis, by measuring the weighted average of carotid vessel-wall-plus-plaque thickness change (ΔVWT¯Weighted) in 120 patients randomized to pomegranate juice/extract versus placebo. Three-dimensional ultrasound images were acquired at baseline and one year after. Three-dimensional VWT maps were reconstructed and then projected onto a carotid template to obtain two-dimensional VWT maps. Anatomic correspondence on the two-dimensional VWT maps was optimized to reduce misalignment for the same subject and across subjects. A weight was computed at each point on the two-dimensional VWT map to highlight anatomic locations likely to exhibit plaque progression/regression, resulting in ΔVWT¯Weighted for each subject. The weighted average of VWT-Change measured from the two-dimensional VWT maps with correspondence alignment (ΔVWT¯Weighted,MDL) detected a significant difference between the pomegranate and placebo groups (P = 0.008). This method improves the cost-effectiveness of proof-of-concept studies involving new therapies for atherosclerosis.