Evaluation of the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation for hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastases adjacent to the gallbladder.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous radiofrequency ablation (RFA) in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and liver metastases adjacent to the gallbladder (GB). MATERIALS AND METHODS: A total of 113 patients with 118 liver lesions (63 HCC lesions and 55 liver metastases) adjacent to the gallbladder underwent RFA between March 2011 and June 2019. Gallbladder-related complications and technique effectiveness rates were evaluated based on the classification of liver tumors and the distance between the lesion and the gallbladder. RESULTS: Gallbladder-related complications were observed in 13 patients. Among the patients with HCC, there was no significant difference between the ≤0.5 cm and >0.5 cm groups (p = .282). However, among the patients with liver metastases, the incidence of gallbladder-related complications in the ≤0.5 cm group was significantly higher than that in the >0.5 cm group (p = .025). The overall incidence of complications was significantly higher in the ≤0.5 cm group than in the >0.5 cm group (p = .020). Among the patients with lesions ≤3 cm, the technical effectiveness rate in the HCC group was significantly higher than in the liver metastasis group (p = .036). CONCLUSION: RFA is a safe and effective treatment option for liver tumors adjacent to the gallbladder. Patients with lesions ≤0.5 cm from the gallbladder had higher gallbladder-related complications, especially patients with liver metastases. Among patients with lesions ≤3 cm, RFA showed greater technical effectiveness for treating HCC than for treating liver metastases.

Value of High-Frequency Ultrasonography in the Qualitative and Semi-Quantitative Assessment of Immunoglobulin G4-Related Submandibular Sialadenitis.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of high-frequency ultrasonography in the evaluation of immunoglobulin G4-related submandibular sialadenitis (IgG4-SS). METHODS: Thirty-four submandibular glands in 17 patients with IgG4-SS were retrospectively enrolled, as well as 34 submandibular glands in 17 healthy control subjects. Qualitative ultrasonic features including submandibular gland size, border, echogenicity, and vascularity were reviewed. Two different scoring systems (0-16 and 0-48, respectively) were used for semi-quantitative analysis of imaging features. Comparison of both qualitative and semi-quantitative ultrasonic analysis were made between patients with IgG4-SS and healthy controls. Spearman correlation was used to explore relationships between variables. RESULTS: The submandibular glands with IgG4-SS presented with enlarged size, rough border, increased vascularity, and abnormal echogenicity (All P < .05). The most common echogenicity pattern for IgG-SS was diffuse hypoechoic foci pattern (44.1%), followed by superficial hypoechoic pattern (20.6%), tumor-like pattern (14.7%), and diffuse hypoechogenicity pattern (11.8%). Most IgG4-SS glands presented linear hyperechogenicity in parenchyma (91.2%). Based on both scoring system, scores of IgG4-SS were significantly higher than those of the controls (All P < .05). Association analysis of both scoring systems showed positive correlation of scores with vascularity in the gland parenchyma (All P < .05). CONCLUSION: The ultrasonic features of IgG4-SS comprise enlarged gland, rough border, increased vascularity, and abnormal echogenicity, which correlate with its pathological characteristics. The most common echogenicity pattern for IgG4-SS was diffuse hypoechoic foci pattern. Semi-quantitative analysis systems could be useful in the assessment of IgG4-SS. Ultrasound is a potential, valuable, and non-invasive tool for the diagnosis and evaluation of IgG4-SS.

Evaluating renal microcirculation in patients with acute kidney injury by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: a protocol for an observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Acute kidney injury (AKI) in critically ill patients has poor renal outcome with high mortality. Changes in intra-renal microcirculation and tissue oxygenation are currently considered essential pathophysiological mechanisms to the development and progression of AKI. This study aims to investigate the characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) derived parameters in biopsy-proven AKI patients, and examine the predictive value of these markers for renal outcome. METHODS AND DESIGN: This prospective observational study will enroll AKI patients who are diagnosed and staging following KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes) criteria. All patients undergo a kidney biopsy and pathological tubulointerstitial nephropathy is confirmed. The CEUS examination will be performed at 0, 4 and 12 weeks after biopsy to monitor renal microcirculation. The percentage decrease of serum creatinine, 4-week and 12-week eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) will also be reviewed as renal prognosis. The relationship of CEUS parameters with clinical and pathological markers will be analyzed. We perform a lassologit procedure to select potential affecting variables, including clinical, laboratory indexes and CEUS markers, to be included in the logistic regression model, and examine their predictive performance to AKI outcomes. DISCUSSION: If we are able to show that CEUS derived parameters contribute to diagnosis and prognosis of AKI, the quality of life of patients will be improved while healthcare costs will be reduced. TRIAL REGISTRATION: This study is retrospectively registered on the Chinese Medical Research Registration information System( https://61.49.19.26/login ) on December 31, 2021: MR-11-22-003,503. This study has been approved by the Ethics and Scientific Research Department of Peking University First Hospital.

Impact of Increased Hemoglobin on Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: Studies of the impact of increased hemoglobin on spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) are limited. The present study aimed to explore the effect of increased hemoglobin on ICH. METHODS: A retrospective single-center study using medical records from a database processed by univariate and multivariate analyses was performed in the People's Hospital of Tibet Autonomous Region in Lhasa, Tibet, China. RESULTS: The mean hemoglobin level in 211 patients with ICH was 165.03 ± 34.12 g/l, and a median hematoma volume was 18.5 ml. Eighty-eight (41.7%) patients had large hematomas (supratentorial hematoma ≥ 30 ml; infratentorial hematoma ≥ 10 ml). No differences in ICH risk factors between the groups with different hemoglobin levels were detected. Increased hemoglobin was independently associated with large hematomas [odds ratio (OR) 1.013, P = 0.023]. Increased hemoglobin was independently associated with ICH with subarachnoid hemorrhage (OR 1.014, P = 0.016), which was more pronounced in men (OR 1.027, P = 0.002). Increased hemoglobin was independently associated with basal ganglia hemorrhage and lobar hemorrhage in men (OR 0.986, P = 0.022; OR 1.013, P = 0.044, respectively) but not in women (P > 0.1). CONCLUSIONS: Increased hemoglobin was independently associated with large hemorrhage volume. Increased hemoglobin was independently associated with lobar hemorrhage in men and ICH with subarachnoid hemorrhage, which was more pronounced in men. Additional studies are needed to confirm our findings and explore potential mechanisms.

Comparison of the Efficacy and Safety of the American Thyroid Association Guidelines and American College of Radiology TI-RADS.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines and 2017 American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging, Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) for their efficacy in predicting malignant thyroid nodules and safety in recommending fine needle aspiration (FNA). METHODS: We reviewed data of 970 thyroid nodules from 908 patients with core needle biopsy pathology. We calculated the accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value for each guideline to predict malignancies. We compared the areas under the curve and FNA recommendations between the 2 guidelines. RESULTS: According to the core needle biopsy pathology, 59.9% (581/970) of the thyroid nodules were malignant. Accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value was 68%, 91%, 33%, 67%, and 70%, respectively, for the ATA guidelines and 70%, 84%, 49%, 71%, and 68%, respectively, for the ACR TI-RADS. Areas under the curve (ATA: 0.71 vs ACR TI-RADS: 0.74; P = .054) were similar when predicting malignancies. For the 545 nodules with maximum diameter ≥1.0 cm, the ACR TI-RADS recommended FNA less often than the ATA guidelines (83.3% [454/545] vs 87.7% [478/545]; P = .01). For the 321 malignant nodules with maximum diameter ≥1.0 cm, the proportions of FNA recommendations were not significantly different (ACR TI-RADS: 90.7% [291/321] vs ATA: 92.5% [297/321]; P = .06). CONCLUSION: The 2015 ATA guidelines and 2017 ACR TI-RADS showed a similar ability in predicting malignancies. Reducing FNA recommendations by the ACR TI-RADS would not lead to a significant decrease in the FNA recommendations given for malignancies with maximum diameter ≥1.0 cm.

Value of Qualitative and Quantitative Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound Analysis in Preoperative Diagnosis of Cervical Lymph Node Metastasis From Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the qualitative and quantitative characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in assessing cervical lymph node metastasis from papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and to evaluate its value in the preoperative diagnosis of cervical lymph node metastasis from PTC. METHODS: A total of 55 lymph nodes in 46 patients were enrolled retrospectively, including 29 metastases from PTC and 26 normal/reactive ones. All lymph nodes were evaluated by conventional ultrasound (US) and CEUS before biopsy or surgery. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to analyze the sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy of US and CEUS features in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis as well as the overall diagnostic performance of US, CEUS, and a combination of the two. RESULTS: Significant differences were found in the enhancement direction, enhancement type, and enhancement range between metastatic and normal/reactive lymph nodes on CEUS (P < .05). Quantitative CEUS parameters were not statistically significant (P > .05). The combination of US and CEUS had the highest diagnostic accuracy (92.7%) compared with US (80.8%) and CEUS (89.1%) alone in the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis from PTC. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of cervical lymph node metastasis from PTC on CEUS include centripetal perfusion, peripheral or mixed enhancement, and an enlarged range on CEUS compared with US, and the first feature was the most meaningful. The combination of CEUS and US is a promising imaging tool for the preoperative diagnosis of cervical metastatic lymph nodes in patients with PTC.

[Ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy on the thyroid nodules: the adequacy and the predicting factors for the nodule management].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the adequacy of the initial ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB) on the thyroid nodules and the potential factors for predicting the management of the nodules. METHODS: Retrospectively collected the subjects who underwent the CNB on the thyroid nodules within one year, with the inclusion criteria: (1) initial CNB on the thyroid nodules, (2) underwent the ultrasound scanning 1 month before the biopsy. The following data were recorded, which were the patient's age, sex, the lesion's sonographic findings (size, number, content, margin, echo, calcification, and internal vascularity), and histopathology. The CNB pathological diagnostic criterion was set up referring to the Bethesda System for Reporting Thyroid Cytopathology (BSRTC). RESULTS: One hundred and fifty-seven patients with 162 nodules were enrolled, and the adequacy of the CNB was 97.5% (158/162, 95%CI 93.8%-99.3%). Referring to the BSRTC, of all the 153 nodules with determined management, 64 (64/153, 41.8%, 95%CI 34.0%-49.6%) were to be followed up only, and 89 (89/153, 58.2%, 95%CI 50.4%-66.0%) were to be undergone nodule excision. Three of the sonographic findings, including lesion margin, echogenicity, and internal vascularity, were significantly associated with the management of the nodules (P < 0.05), and the internal vascularity and margin were demonstrated as the independent factors for predicting the nodule excision by using the logistic regression model (Odds Ratio = 2.942, 2.767, P < 0.05). Only one case of moderate localized hematoma was observed in this series. CONCLUSION: As long as the specification of biopsy operation and pathology interpretation, the procedure of CNB on the thyroid nodules is safe with high adequacy as well. The sonographic margin and internal vascularity of the lesion are the independent factors for predicting the nodule excision.

[Analysis of detecting value of ultrasound and the clinic-pathological features of axillary metastasis in breast cancer].

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the value of ultrasound (US) in predicting axilla status and to investigate the clinic pathologic characters in the axillary node metastasis. METHODS: From June 2012 to June 2013, 323 female primary breast cancer patients who received both axilla ultrasound and pathology examinations were reviewed retrospectively. The features of axillary nodes including diameter, longitudinal-transverse axis ratio, cortical thickness and blood flow grade were used to evaluate axillary status. US accuracy of axillary node metastasis was analyzed correlated with the final pathology results. The clinical and histological features associated with axillary node metastasis was analyzed by χ² test. RESULTS: The proportions of Luminal A-like, Luminal B-like, human epidermalgrowth factor receptor-2 positive and triple negative breast cancer were 11.1% (36/323), 58.5% (189/323), 13.3% (43/323) and 17.0% (55/323) . The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of axilla US in the diagnosis of nodal metastasis were 35.6% (46/129), 98.9% (181/183), 95.8% (46/48) and 68.6% (181/264). Axillary lymph node metastasis had statistically significant correlation with menopausal status and clinical tumor size (χ² = 4.337, 11.100; P = 0.037, 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Standardized ultrasound is the basic way to evaluate axilla status. Sentinel lymph node biopsy should be done to acquire accurate preoperative staging of axilla when US shows no signs of metastasis. Axillary lymph node metastasis is significantly related to menopausal status and clinical tumor size, but not significantly related to subtype classification of primary breast cancer.

Ultrasound and clinical factors predicting central lymph node metastases in patients with unilateral multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: This retrospective study involving a large dataset of unilateral multifocal papillary thyroid carcinoma (UM-PTC) sought to identify factors that predict central lymph node metastases (CLNM) in patients. METHODS: We identified a cohort of 158 patients who underwent cervical ultrasonography followed by UM-PTC diagnosis based on postoperative pathology. The relationship between CLNM and UM-PTC clinical ultrasound features was evaluated using univariate and multivariate analyses. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to determine the ability of total tumor diameter (TTD) to predict CLNM. RESULTS: Among the 158 UM-PTC patients, the incidence of CLNM was 29.7% (47/158). Univariate and multivariate analyses revealed that a number of similarity of sonographic features (NSSF) ≥4 (odds ratio [OR] = 11.335, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 3.95-32.50, p = 0.000), microcalcifications (OR = 3.54, 95% CI: 1.30-9.70, p = 0.014), a TTD of ≥2 cm (OR = 4.48, 95% CI: 1.62-12.34, p = 0.004), number of nodules ≥3 (OR = 13.17, 95% CI: 3.24-53.52, p = 0.000), and Lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (LLNM) (OR = 5.57, 95% CI: 1.59-19.48, p = 0.007) were independently associated with CLNM in UM-PTC. ROC curve analysis revealed that the TTD cut-off of 1.795 cm had a sensitivity of 0.723 and a specificity of 0.676 for predicting CLNM. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with UM-PTC are at high risk of CLNM. NSSF ≥4, microcalcifications, TTD of ≥2 cm, LLNM, and a number of nodules ≥3 were independently associated with CLNM. Our data show that ultrasound may guide surgical decisions in the treatment of UM-PTC.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound evaluation of renal perfusion before angioplasty and its predictive value for hypertension.

BACKGROUND: Atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis (ARAS) is a common disease in the elderly population. OBJECTIVE: The aim was to develop a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS)-based model for predicting post-angioplasty improvement in hypertension in patients with severe ARAS. METHODS: Thirty-five patients with severe ARAS (⩾ 70%) were included in this study, and 42 renal arteries received percutaneous transluminal renal arterial stenting. An optimal integral formula was developed from pre-interventional color-coded duplex sonography (CCDS) and CEUS parameters using least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. A model for predicting short-term hypertension improvement was established using the integral formula and clinical risk factors. Bootstrapping was used for internal validation. RESULTS: Two integral formulas, LASSO.CCDS and LASSO.CEUS, were established. ROC curves of the two integral formulas showed that LASSO.CEUS was the better formula for predicting hypertension improvement (AUC 0.816, specificity 78.6%). Univariate and multivariate regression analyses showed that duration of hypertension (OR 0.841, P= 0.027), diabetes (OR = 0.019, P= 0.010), and LASSO.CEUS (OR 7.641, P= 0.052) were predictors of short-term hypertension improvement after interventional therapy. Using LASSO.CEUS combined with clinical risk factors, the following prediction model was established: logit (short-term improvement in hypertension) = 1.879-0.173 × hypertension duration - 3.961 × diabetes + 2.034 × LASSO.CEUS (AUC 0.939). CONCLUSIONS: The model established using CEUS parameters and clinical risk factors could predict hypertension improvement after interventional therapy, but further research and verification are needed.

[Analyses of carotid intima-media thickness and quantitative arterial stiffness in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients with follow-ups].

OBJECTIVE: To explore the change pattern of carotid stiffness and its relationship between intima-media thickness (IMT) in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: Quantitative intima-media thickness (QIMT) and quantitative arterial stiffness (QAS) were performed on bilateral carotids of 72 T2DM patients in May 2009 and February 2011 separately. IMT, compliance coefficient (CC), α, ß and pulse wave velocity (PWV) were measured. Their relationship was analyzed. RESULTS: Comparing with ultrasound result in 2009, CC of bilateral carotids increased (left 0.9 ± 0.4 vs 1.1 ± 0.4, P = 0.016; right 1.1 ± 0.5 vs 1.2 ± 0.5, P = 0.012). IMT increased while α, ß and PWV decreased (P > 0.05) in 2011. No correlation existed between carotid IMT and QAS parameters. CONCLUSION: The glycemic, lipid and blood pressure controls decrease the carotid stiffness of patients with T2DM. Carotid IMT and stiffness.

Evaluation of the median nerve by shear wave elastography in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A.

AIMS: Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1A (CMT1A) is characterized by enlargement and stiffness of peripheral nerves due to edema with large numbers of "onion bulbs" in the endoneurium. Ultrasound elastography seems to be an ideal method to detect this condition. The aim of this study was to analyze the shear wave elastography (SWE) features of peripheral nerves in patients with CMT1A. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We included 24 CMT1A patients with a mean age of 28 years, along with 24 age- and gender-matched controls. All patients presented with mutations of the PMP22 gene and showed length-dependent polyneuropathy. The motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) of the median nerve ranged from 5.2 to 37.4 m/s. SWE and cross-sectional area (CSA) were used to evaluate the bilateral median nerves at predefined sites in both patients and con-trols. RESULTS: The average elastography value (EV) of the median nerve was 73.5±11.7 kPa in patients with CMT1A and 37.5±6.1 kPa in control subjects. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P<0.05). In CMT1A pa-tients, the average EV at the proximal and distal parts of the median nerve were 81.4±9.4 kPa and 65.2±8.1 kPa, respectively. The average CSAs at the proximal and distal parts of the median nerve were 0.29±0.06 cm2 and 0.20±0.05 cm2, respectively. The EV on SWE was positively correlated with CSA (p< 0.01) and negatively correlated with MNCV in the median nerve (p< 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Peripheral nerve stiffness dramatically increases in CMT1A and is correlated with the severity of nerve involvement.

Ultrasound-guided interlaminar approach for nusinersen administration in patients with spinal muscular atrophy with spinal fusion or severe scoliosis.

BACKGROUND: Intrathecal injection of medications can be challenging in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients with severe scoliosis or after spine surgery. Here we report our experience with real-time ultrasound (US)-guided intrathecal administration of nusinersen in patients with SMA. METHODS: Seven patients (six children and one adult) with either spinal fusion or severe scoliosis were enrolled. We performed intrathecal injections of nusinersen under US guidance. The efficacy and safety of US-guided injection were explored. RESULTS: Five patients had undergone spinal fusion, while the other two presented severe scoliosis. Success was achieved in 19/20 lumbar punctures (95%), 15 of which were performed through the near-spinous process approach. The intervertebral space with a designated channel was selected for the five postoperative patients, while the interspaces with the smallest rotation angle were chosen for the other two patients with severe scoliosis. In 89.5% (17/19) of the punctures, the number of insertions was no more than two. No major adverse events were observed. CONCLUSION: Given its safety and efficacy, real-time US guidance is recommended for SMA patients with spine surgery or severe scoliosis, and the near-spinous process view can be used as a interlaminar puncture approach for US guidance.

Diagnostic Value of Ultrasound Elastography in the Differentiation of Breast Invasive Ductal Carcinoma and Ductal Carcinoma In situ.

BACKGROUND: Ultrasound elastography (US-E) has been shown superior to the conventional US in diagnosing benign and malignant breast lesions. In contrast, the role of US-E in the differentiation of breast invasive ductal carcinoma (IDC) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has been poorly described. OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to examine the diagnostic value of US-E in the differentiation of IDC and DCIS. METHODS: Medical records of all patients who underwent preoperative US-E evaluation and were diagnosed with IDC or DCIS at our hospital from April-December 2019 were retrieved and analyzed. Those who had prior surgical treatment, chemotherapy or radiotherapy were excluded. RESULTS: Twenty women with DCIS and 111 women with IDC were included in this study. There were no significant differences in age, maximum lesion diameter and tumor volume between the two groups. While shear wave velocity (SWV) inside the lesion and in the surrounding tissue, strain ratio and tumor area ratio were not substantially different between the two groups, SWV at the edge of the lesion was significantly higher in IDC cases, which had an AUC value of 0.66 with a sensitivity of 65.8% and a specificity of 60.0% for the differential diagnosis of IDC and DCIS. CONCLUSION: Edge SWV is significantly higher in IDC than that in DCIS, which had a moderate diagnostic value for the differentiation of IDC and DCIS, similar to the performance of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging as reported in the literature. In terms of cost-effectiveness, US-E could be very useful while waiting for further evaluations to determine whether US-E combined with other diagnostic modalities improves the diagnostic performance.

Comparison of the diagnostic performance and clinical role of different ultrasound-based thyroid malignancy risk stratification systems for medullary thyroid carcinoma.

Background: This study sought to investigate the applicability of different ultrasound (US) thyroid risk stratification systems in diagnosing medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and determining the need for biopsy. Methods: In total, 34 MTC nodules, 54 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) nodules, and 62 benign thyroid nodules were examined in this study. All the diagnoses were histopathologically confirmed postoperatively. All the thyroid nodule sonographic features were recorded and categorized by 2 independent reviewers according to the Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TIRADS) of the American College of Radiology (ACR), the American Thyroid Association (ATA) guidelines, the European Thyroid Association (EU) TIRADS, the Kwak-TIRADS, and the Chinese TIRADS (C-TIRADS). The sonographic differences and risk stratifications of the MTCs, PTCs, and benign thyroid nodules were analyzed. The diagnostic performance and recommended biopsy rates for each classification system were evaluated. Results: The risk stratifications of MTCs were all higher than the benign thyroid nodules (P<0.01) and lower than PTCs (P<0.01) with each classification system. Hypoechogenicity and malignant marginal features were independent risk factors for identifying malignant thyroid nodules, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for identifying MTCs was lower than that for identifying PTCs (0.873 vs. 0.954, respectively). The AUCs, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive values, negative predictive values, and accuracy values of the 5 systems for MTC were all lower than those for PTC. The best cut-off values for diagnosing MTC were TIRADS (TR) 4 in the ACR-TIRADS, intermediate suspicion in the ATA guidelines, TR 4 in EU-TIRADS, and TR 4b in both the Kwak-TIRADS and the C-TIRADS. The Kwak-TIRADS had the highest recommended biopsy rate for MTCs (97.1%), followed by the ATA guidelines, the EU-TIRADS (88.2%), the C-TIRADS (85.3%), and the ACR-TIRADS (79.4%). Conclusions: The US-based thyroid malignancy risk stratification systems analyzed in this study were able to satisfactorily identify MTC and recommend biopsy, but the diagnostic performance of these systems for MTC was not as good as that for PTC.

Development and validation of a transformer-based CAD model for improving the consistency of BI-RADS category 3-5 nodule classification among radiologists: a multiple center study.

Background: Significant differences exist in the classification outcomes for radiologists using ultrasonography-based Breast Imaging Reporting and Data Systems for diagnosing category 3-5 (BI-RADS 3-5) breast nodules, due to a lack of clear and distinguishing image features. Consequently, this retrospective study investigated the improvement of BI-RADS 3-5 classification consistency using a transformer-based computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) model. Methods: Independently, 5 radiologists performed BI-RADS annotations on 21,332 breast ultrasonographic images collected from 3,978 female patients from 20 clinical centers in China. All images were divided into training, validation, testing, and sampling sets. The trained transformer-based CAD model was then used to classify test images, for which sensitivity (SEN), specificity (SPE), accuracy (ACC), area under the curve (AUC), and calibration curve were evaluated. Variations in these metrics among the 5 radiologists were analyzed by referencing BI-RADS classification results for the sampling test set provided by CAD to determine whether classification consistency (the k value), SEN, SPE, and ACC could be improved. Results: After the training set (11,238 images) and validation set (2,996 images) were learned by the CAD model, the classification ACC of the CAD model applied to the test set (7,098 images) was 94.89% in category 3, 96.90% in category 4A, 95.49% in category 4B, 92.28% in category 4C, and 95.45% in category 5 nodules. Based on pathological results, the AUC of the CAD model was 0.924 and the predicted probability of CAD was a little higher than the actual probability in the calibration curve. After referencing BI-RADS classification results, the adjustments were made to 1,583 nodules, of which 905 were classified to a lower category and 678 to a higher category in the sampling test set. As a result, the ACC (72.41-82.65%), SEN (32.73-56.98%), and SPE (82.46-89.26%) of the classification by each radiologist were significantly improved on average, with the consistency (k values) in almost all of them increasing to >0.6. Conclusions: The radiologist's classification consistency was markedly improved with almost all the k values increasing by a value greater than 0.6, and the diagnostic efficiency was also improved by approximately 24% (32.73% to 56.98%) and 7% (82.46% to 89.26%) for SEN and SPE, respectively, of the total classification on average. The transformer-based CAD model can help to improve the radiologist's diagnostic efficacy and consistency with others in the classification of BI-RADS 3-5 nodules.

Role of echogenic foci in ultrasonographic risk stratification of thyroid nodules: Echogenic focus scoring in the American College of Radiology Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System.

Background: Although echogenic foci may raise malignancy rates in thyroid nodules, the association between peripheral calcification or macrocalcification and thyroid carcinoma is controversial. We evaluated the malignancy probability of various echogenic foci and explored whether the method of determining a thyroid nodule's point score in the echogenic focus category of the American College of Radiology (ACR) Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data System (TI-RADS) is reasonable. Methods: We retrospectively evaluated 819 patients with 852 nodules. The patterns of echogenic foci on ultrasonography were classified into the following four categories: punctate echogenic foci, macrocalcification, peripheral calcification, and multiple different types of echogenic foci. The core needle biopsy results were divided into two groups: benign and malignant or suspicious for malignancy. Results: Among the 852 nodules, 471 (55.3%) had echogenic foci on ultrasonography. Of these nodules, there was no significant statistical difference in the malignant or suspicious for malignancy rate between nodules with peripheral calcification and those with macrocalcification [40.0% (8/20) vs. 30.6% (11/36), respectively; p = 0.474]. The incidence of malignancy or suspicious for malignancy for nodules with peripheral calcification, macrocalcification, or multiple different types of echogenic foci was significantly lower than the incidence for punctate echogenic foci alone, with odds ratios of 0.265 [95% confidence interval (CI): 0.105-0.667; p = 0.005], 0.175 (95% CI: 0.083-0.368; p = 0.000), and 0.256 (95% CI: 0.136-0.482; p = 0.000), respectively. Conclusion: We found no significant statistical difference in the risk of malignancy or suspicious for malignancy rate between peripheral calcification and macrocalcification in thyroid nodules. We observed that nodules with multiple different types of echogenic foci were not associated with higher malignant or suspicious for malignancy rates compared with nodules with punctate echogenic foci alone.

Microbubble contrast agent SonoVue: An efficient medium for the preoperative lymphatic mapping of thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: To assess the value of microbubble contrast agent SonoVue in the thorough preoperative lymphatic mapping of patients with thyroid carcinoma, including the lymphatic drainage region, the detection of sentinel lymph node (SLN), and the diagnosis of lymph node metastasis (LNM). Materials and methods: 55 patients with 62 thyroid malignancies proved by surgical pathology (59 papillary thyroid carcinomas and three medullary thyroid carcinomas) who underwent preoperative lymphatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (LCEUS) with microbubble contrast agent SonoVue were enrolled. All LNM were confirmed by pathology. The location of thyroid lesions, ultrasonic features of lymph nodes, lymphatic drainage region, and detection of SLN were assessed. The diagnostic performance (sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy) of different parameters for the LNM diagnosis was calculated. Results: SonoVue effectively demonstrated the lymphatic drainage region for all enrolled thyroid carcinomas. The most common lymphatic drainage region for thyroid carcinomas was region VI (93.55%), followed by region III (62.90%), region IV (48.39%) and region II (4.84%). When divided by the lesion location, the most common lymphatic drainage regions for the nodule in isthmus, superior lobe and inferior lobe of the thyroid were region VI, region III, and region VI respectively. SLN was detected in 96.77% (60/62) of cases. The two cases without SLN demonstration had pathologically proven LNM. The most common sonographic sign of LNM was perfusion defect (54.17%). The diagnostic accuracy of SonoVue in central and lateral compartment LNM was 86.67% and 91.67%, respectively. Conclusion: Microbubble contrast agent SonoVue is a valuable imaging contrast medium for thorough preoperative lymphatic mapping in patients with thyroid carcinoma, including the lymphatic drainage region, the detection of SLN, and the diagnosis of LNM. LCEUS with SonoVue alone has limitations of false negatives when there is lymphatic vessel obstruction and may need to be combined with other ultrasound modalities.

The value of ultrasound elastography combined with multi-parameters in the diagnosis of BI-RADS 4 breast lesions.

BACKGROUND: Female breast cancer has surpassed lung cancer as the most commonly diagnosed cancer, with an estimated 2.3 million new cases (11.7%) in the global cancer statistics 2020. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic value of ultrasound elastography combined with multi-parameters in differentiating category 4 benign and malignant lesions in the breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS). METHODS: This study retrospectively analyzed 206 patients (213 breast lesions) who visited the Department of Breast Surgery and underwent a breast core needle biopsy in the Department of Ultrasound in Peking University First hospital from April to December 2019. The shear wave velocity (SWV) values were collected at the following locations by virtual touch tissue imaging quantification (VTIQ): breast lesion interior, breast lesion margin, surrounding glands, and surrounding fat. Simultaneously, the strain ratio (SR) of breast lesions to glands and the area ratio (AR) of breast lesions were collected under strain elastography and a two-dimensional ultrasound mode. RESULTS: Univariate analysis found that the SWV value, measured by ultrasound elastography parameters, and the AR between the elasticity and the two-dimensional ultrasound breast lesions showed statistical differences when differentiating benign and malignant lesions (p< 0.05). Binary logistic regression analysis found that the SWV values of the lesion interior and the surrounding glands were statistically significant. The joint predictors were calculated and analyzed by Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC), and it was found that the joint predictors and the SWV values of the lesion interior have great diagnostic value. The cut-off value, sensitivity and specificity of the joint predictor and the SWV value of the lesion interior were > 3.65, 88.35% and 76.36% and > 5.55 m/s, 79.61% and 82.73%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Ultrasound elastography combined with multi-parameters has good diagnostic value in differentiating BI-RADS 4 breast lesions.

Factors Associated With Alzheimer's Disease Patients' Caregiving Status and Family Caregiving Burden in China.

Background: The increasing prevalence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) has emerged as a major challenge worldwide. China as the most populous country in the globe is amid rapid aging of its population, highlighting the need for appropriate social and medical policies to meet the challenge. The current multicenter cross-sectional observational study aims to provide understanding of the current status of caring given to AD patients in China and investigate the factors that influence the family burden as well as the choice of care given to AD patients. Methods: A total of 1,675 patients with probable AD from 30 provincial regions of mainland China were enrolled in the current study from August 2019 to December 2019. We analyzed the caregiving status and its relationship with family burden and various socio-economical and medical factors. Results: In the current study, 90.87% of the AD patients enrolled adopted family care. The choice of caregiving method was influenced by factors including age (>80 years old, OR 0.648; 95% CI, 0.427-0.983), overall family burden (high, OR 0.574; 95% CI, 0.0.373-0.884), patients' income (OR 0.511; 95% CI, 0.330-0.789) and self-care ability (OR 0.329; 95% CI, 0.183-0.588). Conclusion: Family care is the primary method of care for AD patients in China and the institutional care system for AD patients is still underprepared in China.