Adrenal ganglioneuroblastoma in pregnant woman: diagnosis with three-dimensional ultrasound.

The diagnostic approach for evaluation of adrenal tumour in pregnant women is a problem. This article presents the multifactorial diagnosis of rare, incidentally detected massive adrenal tumour with 2D and 3D US. Grey-scale 2D and 3D US with tissue harmonic imaging showed inhomogeneous, encapsulated, solid tumour of the right adrenal region. Three-dimensional colour Doppler and power Doppler studies showed ample neovascularization in the tumour and the adrenal vein draining to the inferior vena cava similarly to angiographic studies performed in the past.

[Microwave hyperthermia: influence of blood flow and thermoregulation processes (author's transl)]. / Hyperthermie micro-ondes: influence du flux sanguin et des phénomènes thermorégulateurs.

Various problems are encountered during production of local, deep-seated microwave hyperthermia, involving the technology of the irradiating system, and the complexity of heat transfer in living tissues. Before starting investigations on patients, preliminary studies were conducted on different models. Taking the influence of the blood flow into account, the thermal effects of microwaves were simulated on a numerical model, and a perfused phantom. These studies were completed by investigations in animals. The analysis of findings demonstrates that, in given conditions of irradiation, the temperature distribution is strongly dependent on blood flow. This means that the phantom models are only useful to evaluate the influence of the irradiation parameters and to develop and compare the generator-applicator systems, and that accurate planning of therapeutic trials requires in vivo studies on animals as well as on patients.