Ultrasonic Finding Research Articles

Analysis of a twin pregnancy with false negative result for 22q11.2 deletion syndrome by expanded non-invasive prenatal testing

To explore the cause for a twin pregnancy with false negative result for 22q11.2 deletion syndrome by expanded non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT-plus). A pregnant woman with twin pregnancy through in-vitro fertilization and negative result of NIPT-plus was selected as the study subject. Amniocentesis was conducted after ultrasonic finding of fetal abnormalities. In addition to conventional G-banded karyotyping, copy number variation sequencing (CNV-Seq) was used to detect chromosomal microdeletion and microduplication. Clinical data of the woman were analyzed to explore the reasons underlying the false negative result. NIPT-plus has yielded a negative result with 11.77 Mb unique reads and 3.05% fetal fraction. Both fetuses had a normal karyotype (46,XY and 46,XX). CNV-seq indicated that one of the fetuses was normal, whilst the other was diagnosed with a 2.58 Mb deletion in the 22q11.2 region. The false negative result may be attributed to the combined influence of low fetal fraction, high BMI, twin pregnancy through IVF and a relatively small deletion fragment. Ultrasonography exam following a low-risk result of NIPT-plus should not be neglected.

CORRELATION BETWEEN FINE NEEDLE ASPIRATION CYTOLOGY AND CORRESPONDING ULTRASOUND BIRADS SCORE IN MAMMARY MALIGNANCY

The aim of this study is to evaluate accuracy of ultrasound in diagnosing breast cancer and assessing correlation of radiological findings with findings of fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). Retrospective study was conducted at IbneSina Hospital& Multan Medical & Dental College Multan from July 2021 to December 2021. Study was conducted on 40 patients aged between 30 to 90 years having breast limps. Subjects underwent clinical and ultrasonic examination and BIRADS score was correlated with cytology data. Major ultrasonic finding was that irregular lesion was found in 21 (52.5%) subjects. In 10 (25%) patientsill defined lesion was found. FNAC revealed severe atypia in 7.5% and mammary carcinoma in 92.5% cases.BIRADS score V, IV and III were assigned to 75%, 20% and 5% cases respectively. Correlation of FNAC results with ultrasonic findings showed 90.6% accuracy of ultrasound in diagnosis of breast cancer. Ultrasonography provides accurate diagnosis of breast lesions and is recommended radiographic modality for assessing underlying cause of palpable breast mass.

Perinatal outcomes of prenatal cases testing positive for trisomy 9 by noninvasive prenatal testing

ObjectivesTo evaluate the performance of non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for the detection of fetal trisomy 9 in prenatal screening and to investigate the prenatal appearances and genetic counseling of trisomy 9 fetuses. Materials and methodsThe ultrasonography information, laboratory detection and pregnancy outcome of 16 cases of single pregnancy with trisomy 9 identified by NIPT who received amniocentesis in our prenatal diagnosis center from January 2018 to December 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. ResultsAmong the 16 cases, 2 cases of trisomy 9, 3 cases of trisomy 9 mosaicism, 2 cases reporting of regions of homozygosity and 9 cases of false positive were diagnosed. Among the true positive cases, 4 cases showed abnormal ultrasonic finding: 3 cases terminated pregnancy and 1 case was lost to follow-up. Another 1 case was in utero fetal demise in the second trimester without structural abnormality, and 2 cases were normal live birth without developmental abnormalities. In the 9 cases with normal kayrotyping, 1 case had termination of pregnancy and 1 case with mental retardation and poor cognitive ability, other 7 had good pregnancy outcomes. ConclusionOur results may be helpful for the selection of prenatal diagnostic strategies and genetic counseling for pregnant women with trisomy 9 revealed by NIPT.

Clinical and Histological Aspects of Cryptorchidism in Dogs and Cats

This study was aimed to investigate the incidence of cryptorchidism among dogs and tomcats were undergoing elective neutering. Cryptorchidism is diagnosed through clinical examination, palpation of the scrotum, and the ultrasonic finding of the retained testicles within the inguinal or the abdomen. Eleven cases (11.22%) of cryptorchid were identified from a total of 98 cases (42 dogs and 56 tomcats) that underwent elective castration. It was found that different breeds of dogs and tomcats were affected, including Maltese dog, Anatolian shepherd dog, Terrier dogs, Persian cat, Turkish angora cat, and the Domestic Shorthair cat. The locations of cryptorchid testis were varied from inguinal (3.06%) to intra-abdominal (8.16%) origin with either unilateral (10.2%) or bilateral (1.02%) of retained testis and their ratio was 3:3. The histopathological findings of the cryptorchid testes were showed a decrease and disorganization of the seminiferous tubules with severe hypo-spermatogenesis in both species, dogs, and tomcats. In addition, there was also a typical Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS), which was characterized by larger nuclei and atrophy of many tubules, which were completely replaced by hyaline substances. In conclusion, the occurrence of cryptorchidism in Anatolian Shepherd dogs and the Domestic Shorthair cats were first documented in the literature. Although, no significant differences were found in the incidence of cryptorchidism in both species.

Electromechanical response of laterally clamped piezoelectric wafers: Absence of in-plane mechanical resonances in the electromechanical impedance spectrum

We discuss the electromechanical response characteristics of laterally clamped piezoelectric wafers. The impedance spectra (both magnitude and phase) obtained from finite element simulations of uniformly polarized free and clamped circular and square wafers are first presented. It is observed that the magnitude and phase of the impedance spectrum for free piezoelectric wafers shows all the in-plane extensional modes as electromechanical resonances, while that for a clamped wafer does not show any of them. However, it is also shown that the spectrum corresponding to the out-of-plane displacement on the surface of the wafer actually shows the in-plane resonances for both free and clamped wafers. In other words, it is found that the clamped wafer shows in-plane mechanical resonances but these do not appear in the electromechanical impedance spectrum. This observation is then generalized and explained using an analytical model for thin piezoelectric wafers of arbitrary shape. In particular, it is shown that the impedance spectrum of laterally clamped piezoelectric wafers of any arbitrary shape do not show in-plane extensional modes as electromechanical resonances. Moreover, the impedance spectrum of a laterally clamped wafer is shown to depend only on its area and thickness but not its shape. The above findings are relevant to measurement techniques that rely explicitly on the characteristics of the impedance spectrum observed for a piezoelectric wafer. In addition, the absence of resonances resulting from lateral clamping allows for broadband operation of piezoelectric wafers as sensors and actuators for applications such as ultrasonic range finding, underwater acoustics and acoustic imaging.

Ultrasound Measured Depth of Pelvic Free Fluid Correlates Well with Blood Loss Volume in Patients with Ectopic Pregnancy

Purpose The ultrasonic finding of pelvic free fluid which suggests the possibility of internal haemorrhage helps the determination of the severity of patients. Methods We conducted a retrospective study investigating ultrasonic measurements and haemorrhage volumes in patients having an ectopic pregnancy in a single centre from January 2013 to November 2016. The logistic regression model was used to establish the prediction model for haemorrhage volumes. The diagnostic accuracy was evaluated by area under ROC curve (AUC) analysis. We employed 800 ml as the cut-off point of the haemorrhage and further set it to 1000 ml and 1200 ml in the sensitivity analysis. Results The mean pelvic free fluid depths measured by TVS and TAS were 4.45 ± 2.15 cm and 4.45 ± 2.56 cm in the haemorrhage ≥800 ml group, while they were 2.48 ± 1.51 cm and 2.55 ± 1.19 cm in <800 ml group. AUCs and the corresponding cut-off points were 0.741 (95% CI 0.677 to 0.804) and 0.118 when predicted by the standardised depths of TVS and TAS, 0.784 (95% CI 0.696–0.872) and 2.95 cm by the raw depths of TVS, and 0.748 (95% CI 0.665–0.831) and 3.35 cm by the raw depths of TAS. Conclusions The depth of pelvic free fluid measured by TVS and TAS can be used to predict blood loss volume in patients having an ectopic pregnancy. TVS may perform better than TAS.

Smart Fire Rescue System Design Based on WI-FI Mode

Fire timely remedy is very important for life and property safety. The fire intelligent technology and algorithm were adopted in the design according to the fire rescue system intelligent, rapid development in the future. The microcomputer is one of the most important equipment in this system which also includes electricity, source circuit, the motor drive circuit, photoelectric sensor, fire detection, fire fans, and other circuits. WI-FI mode can reduce the fire finding time, quickly start rescue system and rescue in time. The design production can realize some functions such as ultrasonic sensor obstacle avoidance, sensor identification of flame fire, obstacle avoidance automatically, remote control, ultrasonic obstacle avoidance, finding and extinguishing fire and so on.

Efficacy and Safety of Zhenyuan Capsule for Coronary Heart Disease with Abnormal Glucose and Lipid Metabolism: Study Protocol for a Randomized, Double-Blind, Parallel-Controlled, Multicenter Clinical Trial.

Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism are closely associated and generally coexist. The Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome is a common disease pattern encountered in traditional Chinese medicine. We designed a protocol to determine the effectiveness and safety of Zhenyuan capsules for CHD with abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Methods This multicenter, randomized, double-blind, parallel-controlled trial was designed in accordance with the CONSORT. We will recruit 200 eligible male patients aged 45–75 years from three participating centers and randomly assign them to treatment and control groups (1 : 1). The primary indicators are glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting blood glucose, 2-hour postprandial blood glucose, and triglyceride levels. The secondary indicators are the Seattle Angina Questionnaire, TCM symptom indicators, ultrasonic cardiography finding, coagulation indicator, and P-selectin level. Measurements will be performed at baseline (T0), the end of the run-in period (T1), and weeks 4 (T2), 8 (T3), and 12 (T4) of the treatment period. Adverse events will be monitored during the trial. Discussion This study aims to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Zhenyuan capsules in patients with CHD and abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. The results will provide critical evidence of the usefulness of the Chinese herbal medicine for CHD with abnormal glucose and lipid metabolism. Trial Registration This trial is registered with the Chinese Clinical Trials Registry, with identifier number ChiCTR-TRC-14004639, May 4, 2014.

Acute hyperlipidemic pancreatitis accompanied by chylous ascites with normal amylase and lipase in pregnancy

Normal serum amylase is uncommon even in acute hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (HTGAP). However, normal serum lipase and amylase activity in HTGAP with chylous ascites is exceptionally rare. We report a pregnant woman with HTGAP and chylous ascites that were misdiagnosed. She showed acute abdominal pain and significant systemic inflammatory response, but her serum amylase and lipase levels failed to increase, although ultrasonic imaging finding of the pancreas was normal. Early clinical recognition of chylomicronemia helps clinicians diagnose HTGAP rapidly during pregnancy.

Flash Flood Detection in Urban Cities Using Ultrasonic and Infrared Sensors

Floods are the most common type of natural disaster, often leading to loss of lives and properties in the thousands yearly. Among these events, urban flash floods are particularly deadly because of the short timescales on which they occur, and because of the population density of cities. Since most flood casualties are caused by a lack of information on the impending flood (type, location, and severity), sensing these events is critical to generate accurate and detailed warnings and short term forecasts. However, no dedicated flash flood sensing systems, that could monitor the propagation of flash floods, in real time, currently exist in cities. In this paper, first, a new sensing device that can simultaneously monitor urban flash floods and traffic congestion has been presented. This sensing device is based on the combination of ultrasonic range finding with remote temperature sensing, and can sense both phenomena with a high degree of accuracy, using a combination of L1-regularized reconstruction and artificial neural networks to process measurement data. Second, corresponding algorithms have been implemented on a low-power wireless sensor platform, and their performance in water level estimation in a six months test involving four different sensors is illustrated. The results demonstrate that urban water levels can be reliably estimated with error less than 2 cm, and that the preprocessing and machine learning schemes can run in real time on currently available wireless sensor platforms.

Correlation analysis between type 2 diabetes mellitus and thyroid nodules in elderly patients

Objective To investigate the prevalence of thyroid nodules in elderly patients(age≥80years)with type 2diabetes mellitus(T2DM),and to analyze the correlation between thyroid nodules and type 2diabetes mellitus.Methods The study included two groups:one group included 103 patients with T2DM(diabetic group)and the other group included 103 patients without T2DM(control group).Information including clinical history,fasting plasma glucose(FPG),thyroid hormone,and ultrasonic finding of thyroid glands was collected for both groups.The clinical features of thyroid nodules were compared between the two groups and their relationship with other indices was analyzed.Results(1)The prevalence rate of thyroid nodules in diabetic group was greatly higher than that of the control group(84.47% vs 70.59%).The proportion of patients with multiple nodules was as high as 80.46% in the diabetic group.Presence of thyroid nodule was significantly associated with patient ages(χ2=7.060,P0.05),but not with gender,body mass index(BMI),or serum glucose level.(2)The positive rate of thyroid dysfunction in the diabetic group was significantly higher than that in the control group(15.53% vs6.80%,P0.05).The prevalence rates of sub-clinical hypothyroidism were similar between the two groups.T3 and T4levels of thyroid function in the diabetic group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P0.05),and the thyroid stimulating hormone(TSH)levels were similar between the two groups.Conclusion Elderly patients(age≥80years)have a higher liability for thyroid disease,which may affect the control and prognosis of diabetes.It is recommended for those patients to receive regular check-up for thyroid function and morphology changes.

Autologous Fat Graft in the Reconstructed Breast: Fat Absorption Rate and Safety based on Sonographic Identification

BackgroundAutologous fat graft has become a useful technique for correction of acquired contour deformity in reconstructed breasts. However, there remains controversial regarding the efficacy and safety of the practice for reconstructive breast surgery.MethodsA retrospective review was performed on 102 patients who had secondary fat grafting after breast reconstruction. Fat harvest, refinement and injection were done by Coleman's technique. All patients were followed up postoperatively within 1 month and after 6 months including physical examination and ultrasonography. In 38 patients, the reabsorption rate was calculated by serial changes of thickness between skin and pectoral fascia in the ultrasonic finding. Locoregional recurrence rate was compared with control group of 449 patients who had breast reconstruction without fat graft in the same time period.ResultsAverage 49.3 mL fat was injected into each breast. The most common location of fat graft was upper pole, followed by axilla, lower and medial breasts. During 28.7 months of average follow-up period, 2.9% of total patients had symptoms of palpable mass on fat graft side and ultrasonography identified fat necrosis and cyst formation in 17.6% of the patients. Calculated fat reabsorption rate was 32.9%. Locoregional recurrence was occurred in 1 patient (0.9%) and the rate was not different significantly with control group (2%).ConclusionsAlthough further studies are required to provide surgeons with definitive guidelines for the implementation of fat grafting, we propose autologous fat graft is an efficient and safe technique for secondary breast reconstruction.

Electronic Architecture for Air Coupled Ultrasonic Pulse-Echo Range Finding with Application to Security and Surface Profile Imaging

Ultrasonic range finding instruments are utilized, e.g., for measuring liquid levels and distance to parking obstacles. However, instruments designed using the conventional electronic architectures to drive the ultrasonic transmitters cannot provide an operating range beyond a few meters for a flat solid wall with normal incidence when powered by a low voltage battery. This both limits the applicability of the existing instruments and makes it difficult to demonstrate their feasibility for new applications. The architecture described here combines a DC/DC boost converter with semiconductor switches, enabling a scalable increase in the operating range for both pulse-echo and pitch-catch modes of operation. It was fully prototyped and successfully tested for novel applications involving ultrasonic range finders, specifically intrusion detection and surface profile imaging. The limitations of the profile sensing device are rather restrictive as it only operates at the incidence angles below 18°, but this device can be developed further. The developed security system was found to be quite practical in its present state.

A Low-Cost PC-Based Range Finder System

Now computerization is the most popular, reliable and flexible design for various types of control and communication systems. Sound navigation and ranging (SONAR) is a modern ultrasonic range finding technique used for collecting the information about a distant object without any physical contact. In this research work a PC based active SONAR system is proposed. A pair of 40 kHz piezoelectric ultrasonic transducers is used in this project. A driver-software named is developed using turbo C language aimed at IBM PC and its clone machines. The software provides necessary support for interfacing the hardware as well as calculations. A numbers of test were done and found that the proposed system performances are good in terms of accuracy ±5%, simplicity,cost and power consumption.

Sonographic Diagnosis of Juvenile Polyps in Children

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of ultrasonography for juvenile polyps in children and their sonographic characteristics. A retrospective analysis was performed of the ultrasound findings in 27 children who were diagnosed preoperatively with juvenile polyp within the intestinal tract by ultrasonography and then confirmed by colonoscopy, laparotomy and histopathology. The ultrasonic finding common to all polyps was an isolated intraluminal nodular or massive protrusion, associated with multiple mesh-like fluid areas of different sizes. In 25 children, surrounding pedicle-like low echoes of varying lengths were seen connecting with the polyps to form “mushroom” sign. The color Doppler showed abundant blood flow signals within all polyps and pedicles in a shape of a branch or an umbrella. For seven children with an intussusception, the polyp shadow was detected in the cervical part or interior of the intussusception. Ultrasonography is, thus, considered to be a feasible method for diagnosing intestinal juvenile polyp.

The Importance of the First Ultrasonic exam of Newborn Hips

Developmental hip disorder (DHD) is a disorder in development of the acetabulum which remains abrupt (dysplasia) and probably consequential cranialisation of the femur head (luxation). The aim of this paper is to establish the total number of DHD and its subtypes at the first clinical and ultrasound exam of newborns in a retrospective-prospective study made in the period from 1st Jan 2006 through to 31 Dec 2010 at the Clinic for orthopaedics and traumatology in Banja Luka. In total 6132 patients were examined and 99 cases diagnosed with DHD (dysplasia and luxation). Ultrasonic exam was done by means of electronic probe of 5-12 MHz according to standard method after Graph. Girls were significantly more present (96%). Positive family anamnesis on DHD was present with 7.8% examinee, mainly with primiparas, and/ or with 77.8% children with DHD. Dominant intrauterine risk factors for DHD were: mal position of foetus in uterus (78.6%), oligoamnion (17.9%), malformation of the spinal column of the pregnant woman (3.6%), whereas with 38.4% of children with a certain form of DHD the following were found: breech presentation, caesarean section or twin pregnancy. The clinical exam indicated DHD with 8.87% examinee, out of which hip looseness was found with 5% examinees. Ultrasonic finding was positive with 99 examinee, that is with 1.61% of them (deficient and badly formed acetabulum, sleeked protrusion; 8 luxations and 91 dysplasia). Prophylactic measures were requested by 58.6% children (abductive bending and exercises), whereas 41.4 % needed non-intervention therapeutic measures (traction, Pavlik's straps, Graph's knickers, plastering), after which there were no children needing surgical correction of DHD. These data indicate that clinical exam is unreliable for DHD diagnostics, and that Ultrasonic diagnostics and treatment of DHD should start as early as possible applying atraumatic helping devices and procedures in the period when all structures are elastic, flexible and adaptable.

Very Late Stent Thrombosis in Late Stent Malapposition After Sirolimus-Eluting Stent Implantation

Late stent malapposition (LSM) has been demonstrated to be more common after drug-eluting stent (DES) implantation than after bare-metal stent (BMS) implantation. To date, this unusual intravascular ultrasonic finding after DES implantation, however, has not received enough attention, because previous studies suggested few adverse clinical sequelae from LSM. We present a case of angiographically-confirmed very late stent thrombosis (ST) in LSM after elective implantation of sirolimus-eluting stents. In this 32-year-old male patient, very late ST occurred at 29 months after DES implantation and at 20 months after the identification of LSM. Although this patient had received sufficient dual antiplatelet therapy with aspirin and clopidogrel for more than 1 year, he suffered from ST shortly after the discontinuation of clopidogrel. Thus, patients with LSM may pose a significant risk for very late ST after discontinuation of dual antiplatelet therapy. The findings suggest that dual antiplatelet therapy should be further prolonged in patients with LSM.

Diagnosis of Pneumothorax (PTX) by means of Transthoracic Ultrasound –a Prospective Trial

PURPOSE: X-ray of the thorax represents so far the standard diagnostic procedure to evaluate for a PTX, but is associated with radiation exposure and logistic delays. Portable ultrasound is now widely and easily available and may present an attractive alternative to conventional CXR in the evaluation for that disorder. The typical ultrasonic finding is typically the lack of respiration-dependent sliding of the pleura. Prospective investigations of the value of ultrasound in the diagnosis of PTX are missing.

The ‘tulip sign’: a sonographic clue for in‐utero diagnosis of severe hypospadias

AbstractObjectiveTo describe a unique sonographic sign for prenatal detection of severe penoscrotal hypospadias.MethodsUltrasound findings of hypospadias diagnosed in the second trimester of pregnancy in seven patients were compared with postnatal clinical features. All patients were recruited from routine sonographic examinations performed for various obstetric indications.ResultsIn six of the seven cases with hypospadias, a severe form of peno‐scrotal hypospadias was found. In all six cases, a unique ultrasound feature was observed represented by extreme ventral angulation of the penis, with or without chordee, in a form resembling a tulip flower. This ‘tulip’ is formed by the ventrally bent penis located between the two scrotal folds. In all six patients, the postnatal pictures of the newborns' genitalia corresponded perfectly to the prenatal sonograms. Associated anomalies occurred in two cases, with Nager syndrome in one case and mild renal hydronephrosis in the other case.ConclusionsThe ‘tulip sign’ is a specific ultrasonic finding of severe hypospadias. The recognition of this may help to distinguish between severe hypospadias and other genital abnormalities (e.g. ambiguous genitalia). Copyright © 2002 ISUOG

Pancreas and Aging: A Study Using Ultrasonography

Background: The pancreas undergoes a continuous aging process leading to alterations such as atrophy, fatty infiltration and fibrosis. Objective: The aim of this study was to determine the normal ultrasonic aspect of the pancreas and any relationship to age with special regard to pancreatic echogenicity and pancreatic duct diameter. Methods: In the study on pancreatic echogenicity 131 patients (56 male, 75 female), aged 18–92 (median 52) years, with normal weight were examined prospectively. The echogenicity of the pancreas was compared with the normal liver and divided into four different categories. The prospective investigation into any age relationship of pancreatic duct diameter was performed on 101 patients (44 male, 57 female), ages 18–91 (median 53) years, with normal weight. In both studies, the patients were split into seven age groups. For statistical analysis the chi-square test for independence was used. Results: With advancing age, ultrasonography demonstrated an increasing echogenicity of the pancreas, beginning in the 4th decade of life. Most patients over 50 years, and all patients over 80 had a marked echogenicity, distinctly higher than that found in the liver. The mean pancreatic duct diameter of all patients in the second study was 1.9 mm. Younger subjects had a smaller diameter – average 1.5 mm in the group 18–29 years – but with advancing age a distinct duct enlargement was observed: mean 1.9 mm in the group 40–49 years, mean 2.3 mm in patients over 80 years, but not exceeding 3 mm. Conclusion: On ultrasonography, the aging process of the pancreas leads to an increase of echogenicity. In the aged, a very high echogenicity is a normal ultrasonic finding. The pancreatic duct diameter also increases with advancing age. Even in advanced age, a diameter of more than 3 mm, however, should be regarded as a pathological finding.