Utility of Combined Use of Transabdominal Ultrasonography and Fecal Immunochemical Test Examinations in Ulcerative Colitis.

This study examined the utility of the combined use of transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) and fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) to detect mucosal inflammation, vis-a-vis the Mayo endoscopic subscore (MES), in ulcerative colitis (UC). Sixty-three UC patients who underwent TUS and FIT were retrospectively enrolled. For TUS, the colon was divided into five segments, and the bowel wall thickness was measured and evaluated. The accuracy of FIT (> 100 ng/ml) in detecting mucosal inflammation (MES>0) was 0.93, whereas that of TUS (BWT>2 mm) in each segment was 0.84-0.97. The combined use of TUS and FIT may be helpful in noninvasive treatment strategies.

Preoperative diagnosis of tumor depth in gastric cancer using transabdominal ultrasonography compared to using endoscopy and computed tomography.

BACKGROUND: An accurate evaluation method for preoperative diagnosis has not yet been established in patients with gastric cancer (GC), though it is essential for optimal treatment. Current standard modalities are endoscopy and contrast computed tomography (CT). In this study, we investigated the efficacy and limitations of transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS) for the assessment of tumor invasion. METHODS: We enrolled 178 consecutive patients with GC evaluated by TUS, endoscopy, and contrast CT before gastrectomy. For the TUS examination, patients ingested water to fill their stomachs. The clinical staging determined using these modalities was compared to the pathological staging. RESULTS: The overall accuracy of clinical T staging using TUS was 47.8% (pT1a: 5.8% (2/35); pT1b: 58.8% (20/35); pT2: 69.6% (16/23); pT3: 66.7% (22/33); pT4a: 46% (23/50); pT4b: 100% (2/2)). Using endoscopy, contrast CT, and TUS, the overall accuracy was 60.7%. The accuracy of TUS was associated with the tumor region (U region: 50% (14/28); M: 31.8% (14/44); L: 53.7% (57/106); P = 0.048), but not with the cross-sectional parts (P = 0.49). Multivariate analysis identified inaccurate TUS as independently correlating with tumor region (M vs. U/L, odds ratio (OR) = 3.11, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.41-6.87; P = 0.005) and pT (pT1 vs. pT2-4, OR = 3.00, 95%CI 1.31-6.87; P = 0.009). CONCLUSIONS: The present study demonstrated the importance of TUS in evaluating GC. Thus, TUS may be useful for clinical T staging in certain circumstances, leading to treatment optimization.

Effect of hip external rotator muscle contraction on pelvic floor muscle function and the piriformis.

INTRODUCTION AND HYPOTHESIS: There is a lack of in-depth understanding of the muscles surrounding the pelvic floor muscle (PFM). The study aimed to investigate the functional relationship between PFM and hip external rotator muscles by observing the piriformis muscle thickness and displacement of the bladder base under different contraction conditions of the hip external rotator and/or PFM. We hypothesized that PFM function would be the strongest when the hip external rotator and PFM contracted simultaneously and that during PFM contraction, the piriformis muscle would act as an auxiliary muscle and show coactivation. METHODS: The participants included 13 healthy adult women (mean age 23.8 ± 2.8 years). The three contraction conditions were PFM contraction, hip external rotator contraction, and simultaneous contraction of the hip external rotator and PFM. During the tasks, the piriformis muscle thickness and bladder base displacement were measured using ultrasonography and compared among the contraction conditions using one-way analysis of variance. RESULTS: Significant differences were noted in bladder base displacement among the three contraction conditions (P < 0.01), with PFM contraction having the highest value. The piriformis muscle thickness showed the greatest increase in simultaneous contraction. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, we showed PFM contraction positively influences piriformis contraction, while PFM function operationalized by bladder base displacement was highest during PFM contraction alone.

Crohn's Disease Activity Evaluation by Transabdominal Ultrasonography: Correlation with Double-Balloon Endoscopy.

OBJECTIVES: Transabdominal ultrasonography (US) has been reported as a useful tool for evaluating Crohn's disease (CD) activity. Endoscopic findings and Crohn's disease activity index (CDAI) are currently considered the gold standard for assessing CD activity. We assessed the correlation between US and double-balloon endoscopy (DBE), and CDAI for evaluating CD activity. METHODS: We analyzed patients with CD undergoing US and DBE within 10 days between the procedures. The intestine was divided into four segments and analyzed by the US scoring system (US-CD) and the simple endoscopic score for Crohn's disease (SES-CD). CDAI was compared with US-CD and SES-CD. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient was used for statistical analysis. RESULTS: Twenty-five patients with CD (11 women, 14 men; mean age 35.4 ± 14.9 years, range 16-65 years) were enrolled. Twenty-four patients received antitumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy. CDAI was 128.1 (range 36-227). A significant moderate correlation was found between the US-CD and SES-CD in all segments (ρ = .64, P < .01). The US-CD showed a strong correlation with CDAI (ρ = .78, P < .01), whereas the SES-CD showed a moderate correlation (ρ = .55, P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: US-CD and SES-CD showed a moderate correlation for assessing CD activity. US-CD showed a stronger correlation with CDAI than SES-CD, suggesting that US could more accurately evaluate the disease activity.

Correlation between the macroscopic severity of Crohn's disease in resected intestine and bowel wall thickness evaluated by water-immersion ultrasonography.

Objectives: Transabdominal ultrasonography is a common and accurate tool for managing Crohn's disease (CD); however, the significance of the resulting data is poorly understood. This study was performed to determine the association between bowel wall thickness evaluated by water-immersion ultrasonography and macroscopic severity, namely, refractory inflammation and subsequent fibrosis in CD surgical specimens.Materials and methods: We retrospectively evaluated 100 segments of colon and small intestine from 27 patients with CD. The resected specimens were placed in saline postoperatively, and bowel wall thickness was measured by water-immersion ultrasonography and compared with macroscopic findings. Correlations between bowel wall thickness and macroscopic findings were assessed using analysis of variance and receiver operating characteristic curves.Results: According to the progression of macroscopic severity, the mean bowel wall thickness was increased as follows: macroscopically intact: 4.1 mm, longitudinal ulcer scars: 5.4 mm, longitudinal open ulcers: 6.0 mm, large ulcers: 6.4 mm, cobblestone-like lesions: 7.1 mm, and fibrotic strictures: 7.4 mm. For all lesions except longitudinal ulcer scars, the bowel wall thickness was significantly thicker than that of macroscopically-intact areas (p < .001). According to receiver operating characteristic curves, bowel wall thickness >4.5 mm was associated with CD lesions, and thickness >5.5 mm was associated with more severe lesions.Conclusions: The bowel wall thickness of CD lesions was evaluated by water-immersion ultrasonography correlated with macroscopic disease severity.

Assessment of the effect of pelvic floor exercises on pelvic floor muscle strength using ultrasonography in patients with urinary incontinence: a prospective randomized controlled trial.

[Purpose] The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the effect of pelvic floor exercises on pelvic floor muscle strength could be detected via ultrasonography in patients with urinary incontinence. [Subjects and Methods] Of 282 incontinent patients, 116 participated in the study and were randomly divided into a pelvic floor muscle training (n=65) group or control group (n=51). The pelvic floor muscle training group was given pelvic floor exercise training for 12 weeks. Both groups were evaluated at the beginning of the study and after 12 weeks. Abdominal ultrasonography measurements in transverse and longitudinal planes, the PERFECT scheme, perineometric evaluation, the stop test, the stress test, and the pad test were used to assess pelvic floor muscle strength in all cases. [Results] After training, the PERFECT, perineometry and transabdominal ultrasonography measurements were found to be significantly improved, and the stop test and pad test results were significantly decreased in the pelvic floor muscle training group, whereas no difference was observed in the control group. There was a positive correlation between the PERFECT force measurement scale and ultrasonography force measurement scale before and after the intervention in the control and pelvic floor muscle training groups (r=0.632 and r=0.642, respectively). [Conclusion] Ultrasonography can be used as a noninvasive method to identify the change in pelvic floor muscle strength with exercise training.

Quantitative analysis of pancreatic echogenicity on transabdominal sonography: correlations with metabolic syndrome.

PURPOSE: To attempt a quantitative analysis of pancreatic echogenicity on transabdominal ultrasonography (US) and evaluate the correlation between pancreatic echogenicity and metabolic syndrome (MetS). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated transabdominal sonograms from 286 subjects. Mean pancreatic body brightness, mean perihepatic fat brightness, and the pancreato-perihepatic fat index (PPHFI) were measured, and reproducibility was analyzed using intraclass correlation coefficients. Associations between the PPHFI and MetS components were analyzed. The optimal PPHFI cutoff value to predict MetS was calculated. RESULTS: Reproducibility was good for mean pancreatic body brightness, mean perihepatic fat brightness, and PPHFI with intraclass correlation coefficients of 0.98, 0.95, and 0.95, respectively. Each MetS component showed a significant association with PPHFI. Waist circumference had the strongest association (r = 0.55, p < 0.0001). PPHFI was significantly higher in the MetS (+) group than the MetS (-) group (p < 0.0001), and PPHFI was an independent factor predicting MetS (p = 0.02; odds ratio, 2.89). The best PPHFI cutoff value to predict MetS was 1.97, with a relatively high negative predictive value of 94.1%. CONCLUSIONS: We quantitatively analyzed pancreatic echogenicity using the PPHFI on US and found that an increased PPHFI was significantly correlated with MetS. Because increased PPHFI on US may indicate MetS, radiologists and clinicians need to be aware of its implications.

Estimation of gestational age in buffaloes (Bubalus bubalis) by transabdominal and transrectal ultrasonography.

The aims of the presented study were (1) to examine the relationship between foetal measurements and gestational age (GA), (2) to generate GA formulas, and (3) to investigate the estimation of GA by transabdominal ultrasonography in buffaloes. Thirteen pregnant buffaloes were used in the study. Transrectal ultrasonography was performed between Day (D) 28 and 112 of gestational age, whereas transabdominal ultrasonography was between 126 and 294. The diameters of embryonic (EVD) and amniotic (AVD) vesicles, crown-rump length (CRL), occipito-nasal length (ONL), biparietal diameter (BPD), orbit diameter (OD), cervical, thoracic, lumbar and coccygeal vertebrae lengths (CVL, TVL, LVL, CcVL), abdominal diameter (AD), chest diameter (CD), umbilical cord diameter (UCD), scapula, humerus, radius-ulna, metacarpus, femur, tibia, and metatarsus lengths (SL, HL, RUL, McL, FL, TL, MtL), diameters of transversal heart (THD), stomach (SD), kidney (KD), and outer diameter, circumference and area of placentomas (OPD, OPC, OPA) were measured by ultrasonography. All 26 parameters were highly correlated with GA (r = 0.968 - 0.999). The observation of the foetus was evident in all animals via transabdominal ultrasonography, and all parameters except EVD, AVD, and CRL could be measured on D 126. In addition, heartbeats, the sign of foetal vitality, could be observed in 11 of 13 living foetuses. This study is the first to demonstrate that transabdominal ultrasonography can be used to estimate GA in buffaloes. In addition, GA formulas related to ONL, CVL, TVL, LVL, CcVL, extremity bone lengths, THD, UCD, PC, and PA measurements were created for the first time in buffaloes.

Assessment of fetal development during mid and late term pregnancies by standard B-Mode ultrasonography in Shetland ponies.

Transrectal and transabdominal ultrasonography is an established method to monitor pregnancy, fetal growth and wellbeing in different species. Growth charts with multiple bio-morphometric parameters to estimate days of gestation and days before parturition exist in small companion animals, sheep and goats, riding type horses and large ponies but not in small horse breeds like Shetland ponies. The aim of this study was to apply fetal biometric assessment and detailed description of physiologic fetal development to mid and late term pregnancies in Shetland mares and to generate reference data for clinical practice and for future research. Fetal parameters were collected starting on day 101 of pregnancy in five Shetland mares. The fetal biometric parameters determined consisted of aortic diameter, eye diameter, combined rib and intercostal distance (CRID), stomach length and width and different heart morphology parameters in sagittal and frontal plane. Additionally, fetal activity and organ development in terms of differentiation and changes in echogenicity were recorded. Considering reliably assessable parameters, fetal CRID was the best predictor for gestational age with ± 13.6 days and fetal aortic diameter the most accurate for prediction of days until parturition with ± 16.2 days.

Appendiceal mucocele pathologically classified as appendiceal epithelial hyperplasia and preoperatively diagnosed by contrast-enhanced ultrasonography: A case report.

We report a patient with a mucocele with diffuse wall thickening diagnosed by transabdominal ultrasonography and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography. Transabdominal ultrasonography showed diffuse thickening of the entire appendix wall and an anechoic area that appeared to be fluid collected throughout the appendix lumen. However, the "onion skin sign" was not detected. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography combined with superb microvascular imaging revealed abundant mucosal blood flow and no abnormal vascular network within the mucosa of the appendix wall. We preoperatively diagnosed a mucocele complicated by acute and chronic appendicitis, and ileocecal resection was performed. Macroscopic and microscopic findings of the resected specimens demonstrated that the appendiceal wall was diffusely thickened, with fibrosis and inflammatory cell infiltration, and that the appendiceal root rumen was narrowed with epithelial hyperplasia. No neoplastic changes were observed. The cause of the appendiceal mucocele was likely fibrosis and stenosis at the root of the appendix due to initial acute appendicitis.

Volume of the normal prostate gland in polish boys, aged 1-17 years: Based on transabdominal ultrasound - Prospective study.

BACKGROUND: Until now, there are no established norms for prostate size in children. Prostate volume during development has been analyzed in small study groups. In diagnostic imaging, transabdominal ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging are used. AIMS: To establish prostate volume norms for individuals aged 1-17 years using transabdominal ultrasound. STUDY DESIGN: Between 2021 and 2023, transabdominal prostate ultrasound was performed on 482 Caucasian boys, aged 1-17 years, who were patients of the urology clinic. Normative data were based on results of 345 boys with normal lower urinary tract, urethral and penile structures. Patients with abnormal external genitalia, Prune Belly Syndrome, Myelomeningocele, chromosomal disorders, or prostate abnormalities found in ultrasound were excluded from the study. Patient eligibility was determined based on medical records and physical examinations. During ultrasound, height, anterior-posterior dimension, and width of prostate were assessed. Prostate volume was calculated using the ellipsoid formula VH x L(AP) x W x 0.523. Measurements were correlated with age, weight, and height. Results were analyzed using descriptive statistics, statistical significance tests for means, and correlation methods. After estimating preliminary results, taking into account the development periods, patients were divided into age groups: 1-4 years (n = 70), 5-10 years (n = 124), 11-12 years (n = 43), 13-15 years (n = 65), and 16-17 years (n = 43). RESULTS: The table and nomogram shows prostate volumes based on age. Prostate size remains stable up to the age of 8. We noticed a transitional phase at the age of 8-11 years. A significant increase in volume occurs over 11 years of age. There was a statistically significant relationship between prostate size, age, height, and weight. DISCUSION: Established norms can serve as a reference for prostate analysis in patients with defects of the genitourinary system. An interesting analysis would be a prostate size assessment in relation to stage of development on Tanner scale. CONCLUSION: Transabdominal ultrasound, being a non-invasive, painless, and readily accessible examination, allows assessment of prostate size even in boys aged 1 year old. A statistically significant relationship was found between prostate size, weight, and height. Norms for prostate size in boys were established according to age.

Accuracy of the Measurement of Uterine Leiomyoma by Transabdominal Ultrasonography.

Introduction Uterine leiomyoma is a benign smooth muscle tumor. It does not necessarily require curative treatment, but if conservative management is chosen, it is important to rule out uterine leiomyosarcoma. When a size increase is observed, one must consider malignancy, and thus objective and cost-effective measurement of uterine size is important, especially for early detection of malignant change. Although MRI imaging is thought to be the gold standard for the diagnosis of uterine leiomyosarcoma, frequent MRI is impractical because of the incidence of uterine leiomyoma and the economic burden in real-world clinical practice. On the other hand, ultrasonography (US) is considered the most useful device in the observation of size changes. So this study aimed to examine the accuracy of the measurement of transabdominal US compared to MRI imaging. Materials and methods This retrospective study included 92 patients with uterine myoma ≥ 50 mm who undertook an MRI within 30 days after the transabdominal US. The longest diameter of the largest myoma (a), the longest diameter perpendicular to a in the sagittal image (b), and the longest diameter perpendicular to a and b in the axial image (c) were measured by US and MRI, and these were used to calculate the volume. Results were analyzed by intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) 3.1. Results The ICC for the volume and major axis of the largest myoma by US and MRI were 0.87 and 0.90, respectively. The 95% confidence intervals (CI) were 0.82-0.91 and 0.87-0.93, respectively. Both reliability levels ranged from good to excellent. ICC was 0.54 (95%CI 0.15-0.78) in myomas with a volume of >500 cm3, and the concordant rate between US and MRI was poor to good. On the other hand, ICC was 0.82 (95%CI 0.57-0.93) even though all myomas with major axes greater than 120 mm had a volume >500 cm3, and the concordant rate between US and MRI measurements was moderate to excellent. In the evaluation by major axis, ICC was 0.60 (95%CI -0.41-0.95) for myomas larger than 160 mm, indicating a lower concordant rate. Conclusion Transabdominal US is an appropriate modality as well as MRI for follow-up of uterine myoma size if the nodules are 160 mm or smaller. Measurement of the major axis is easier and more useful than volume.

Protocol for a Multi-Center Confirmatory Trial to Evaluate the Differential Diagnostic Performance of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasonography Using Perflubutane in Patients with a Pancreatic Mass: A Multicenter Prospective Study.

For pancreatic masses, an evaluation of their vascularity using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can help improve their characterization. This study was designed to evaluate the utility and safety of contrast-enhanced transabdominal ultrasonography (CE-TUS) and endoscopic ultrasonography (CE-EUS) in the diagnosis of pancreatic masses including solid or cystic masses. This multi-center comparative open-label superiority study is designed to compare Plain (P)-TUS/EUS alone with P-TUS/P-EUS plus CE-TUS/CE-EUS. Three hundred and one patients with a total of 232 solid pancreatic masses and 69 cystic masses were prospectively enrolled. The primary endpoints are to compare the diagnostic accuracy between P-TUS/P-EUS alone and P-TUS/P-EUS plus CE-TUS/CE-EUS for both the TUS and EUS of solid pancreatic masses, and to compare the diagnostic accuracy between P-EUS alone and P-EUS plus CE-EUS in cystic pancreatic masses. The secondary endpoints are to compare the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of P-TUS/P-EUS alone and P-TUS/P-EUS plus CE-TUS/CE-EUS for pancreatic solid/cystic masses, and the accuracy of P-TUS alone and P-TUS plus CE-TUS for pancreatic cystic masses. Other secondary endpoints included comparing the diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of CE-TUS, CE-EUS and CE-computed tomography (CT) for solid/cystic pancreatic masses. The safety, degree of effective enhancement, and diagnostic confidence obtained with CE-TUS/CE-EUS will also be assessed.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography combined with superb microvascular imaging for preoperative diagnosis of sporadic intra-abdominal desmoid-type fibromatosis: A case report.

We herein report a case of sporadic intra-abdominal desmoid-type fibromatosis in which contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (US) combined with superb microvascular imaging (SMI) was useful for preoperative diagnosis. 18-Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography performed for systematic screening for lung cancer revealed an abnormal accumulation in the abdominal cavity. Transabdominal US showed a tumor with a mixture of hypoechoic and hyperechoic areas. Contrast-enhanced US combined with SMI revealed dendritic blood flow signals and no abnormal vascular network within the tumor. Macroscopic examination of the resected specimen revealed a white tumor with relatively clear boundaries. Microscopic examination revealed spindle cells with poor atypia proliferating in bundles with collagenous stromal cells. Immunohistochemistry showed nuclear localization of beta-catenin within the tumor cells. From these findings, we finally diagnosed intra-abdominal desmoid-type fibromatosis. Contrast-enhanced US combined with SMI is useful for diagnosing intra-abdominal desmoid-type fibromatosis.

Small intestine contrast ultrasonography in pediatric Crohn's disease.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of small intestine contrast ultrasonography (SICUS) in pediatric Crohn's disease (CD). STUDY DESIGN: A total of 51 consecutive patients (median age 15 years; range 3-20, 31 male patients), 21 with suspected and 30 with proven CD, were studied. All patients underwent standard ultrasonography (ie, transabdominal ultrasonography [TUS]), SICUS, small bowel follow-through, and upper and lower endoscopy. SICUS was performed in patients after they ingested an oral contrast solution. TUS and SICUS were compared with small bowel follow-through and endoscopy via use of the final diagnosis as reference standard. RESULTS: In undiagnosed patients, the sensitivity and specificity of TUS and SICUS in detecting CD small bowel lesions were 75% and 100% and 100% and 100%, respectively. In patients with proven CD, the sensitivity and specificity of TUS and SICUS were 76% and 100% and 96% and 100%, respectively. The agreement (k) with radiology for site of lesions was almost perfect for SICUS (0.93), both for jejunal and ileal lesions, and it was fair (0.40) for jejunal and substantial (0.68) for ileal lesions for TUS. Compared with radiology SICUS correctly assessed the length of lesions, whereas TUS underestimated it (P = .0001). CONCLUSIONS: The radiation-free technique SICUS is comparable with radiology and more accurate than TUS in assessing small bowel lesions in pediatric CD, mainly in the detection of proximal small bowel disease.

Transabdominal ultrasound accurately identifies a significant iliac vein area-reducing lesion in patients with pelvic venous insufficiency.

BACKGROUND: In patients with pelvic venous disorders secondary to pelvic venous insufficiency (PVI), the optimal imaging modality is ill-defined. Transabdominal ultrasound (TAU) is widely used to identify the presence of iliac vein stenosis. The purpose of the present investigation is to determine the accuracy of TAU for determining the presence of an iliac vein area-reducing lesion compared with intravascular ultrasound (IVUS). METHODS: From January to December 2020, a retrospective review of prospectively collected data from 96 patients treated for symptomatic PVI at the Center for Vascular Medicine was performed. All patients had complete history and physical examination findings, demographics, CEAP (clinical, etiologic, anatomic, pathophysiologic), revised venous clinical severity score, and TAU, diagnostic venography, and IVUS measurements recorded in our electronic medical record system. All TAU measurements were performed by the same ultrasound technician with the patient in the supine position. Iliac vein diameters of the common femoral, external iliac, and common iliac veins and the inferior vena cava were obtained. Differences in body habitus were normalized by dividing the minimum diameter measurement of the stenotic vessel with that of the ipsilateral common femoral vein, subtracting this number from 1 and multiplying by 100 (stenosis = [1 - minimal diameter/common femoral diameter] × 100). The normalized stenoses were then compared with the IVUS-derived area reducing measurements. A receiver operating characteristic curve was created, and logistic regression analysis for the probability of predicting an area-reducing lesion of >50% and >60% with TAU was performed. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were calculated. RESULTS: The average age of the entire cohort was 49.8 ± 13.5 years, with 69 women and 27 men. The CEAP distribution was as follows: C0, 5%; C1, 5%; C2, 10%; C3, 40%; C4a,b, 30%; C5, 7%; and C6, 3%. The average revised venous clinical severity score was 6.2 ± 2.6. The indications for intervention were leg symptoms alone in 43%, pelvic symptoms alone in 3%, and combined leg and pelvic symptoms in 54%. TAU identified a stenosis of ≥50% in 92 of the 96 patients (96%). For a ≥50% stenosis, a normalized diameter of ≤3 mm demonstrated a sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive value of 75%, 75%, 98%, and 12%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that TAU was significant in predicting the presence of a ≥60% area-reducing lesion (odds ratio, 1.03; 95% confidence interval, 1.01-1.05; P = .009). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (c-statistic) was 68.6%. The sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 66.7%, 66.7%, 81.5%, and 47.6%, respectively, for a normalized diameter of ≥4 mm. CONCLUSIONS: The ability of TAU to identify an iliac vein stenosis of ≥50% is 96%. The positive predictive value for TAU to identify a ≥60% iliac vein area-reducing lesion is high, with moderate sensitivity and specificity. For patients with symptoms consistent with pelvic venous disorders secondary to PVI, TAU is a good preintervention screening modality for properly trained vascular imaging specialists with findings that correlate well with IVUS measurements.

Diagnosis of ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease using transabdominal ultrasonography.

The following are some common features of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) on transabdominal ultrasonography (TUS). UC, which consists primarily of mucosal inflammation, is seen on TUS as wall thickening with preserved layer structure continuing from the rectum in the active phase of UC. Inflammation confined to the mucosa is seen as thickening of the mucosal/submucosal layers. When the inflammation becomes severe, the echogenicity of the submucosal layer decreases and the layer structure becomes indistinct. CD, which consists primarily of discontinuous transmural inflammation, shows more pronounced hypoechoic wall thickening than UC at the transmural inflammation. On TUS, the layer structure becomes indistinct and gradually disappears due to the depth of the myriad inflammation during the active phase of CD. It is important to evaluate the changes in wall thickening and layer structure when diagnosing UC and CD with TUS. In addition, diagnostic techniques such as color Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography, which can be used to assess blood flow, and elastography, which can be used to evaluate stiffness, are also used. Thus, TUS is a noninvasive and convenient modality that shows promise as a useful examination for diagnosis of UC and CD.

Is vitamin B12 deficiency a risk factor for gastroparesis in patients with type 2 diabetes?

BACKGROUND: Diabetic gastroparesis is a severe diabetic complication refers to delayed gastric emptying in the absence of mechanical obstruction of the stomach. Vitamin B12 affects the dynamics of autonomic nervous system and its deficits has been linked to cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy therefore, vitamin B12 deficiency was hypothesized to be implicated in the development of diabetic gastroparesis. This study was conducted to explore the possible association between vitamin B12 deficiency and gastroparesis in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). METHODS: A total of 100 T2D patients with diabetes duration > 10 years and 50 healthy controls matched for age and sex were recruited for this study. T2D patients were divided into 2 groups: patients with gastroparesis and patients without gastroparesis. The diagnosis of gastroparesis was based on Gastroparesis Cardinal Symptom Index (GCSI) Score ≥ 1.9 and ultrasonographic findings including gastric emptying ˂ 35.67% and motility index ˂ 5.1. Anthropometric measurements, plasma glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), lipids profile, vitamin B12 and transabdominal ultrasonography were assessed. RESULTS: The frequency of vitamin B12 deficiency in total patients with T2D was 35% (54.5% in patients with gastroparesis vs. 11.1% in patients without gastroparesis, P < 0. 001). Vitamin B12 level was negatively correlated with GCSI Score whereas, it was positively correlated with gastric emptying and motility index. Vitamin B12 deficiency was an independent predictor for gastroparesis in patients with T2D; it predicts gastroparesis at a cut off value of 189.5 pmol/L with 69.1% sensitivity and 64.4% specificity, P = 0.002. CONCLUSIONS: Beside the known risk factors of diabetic gastroparesis, vitamin B12 deficiency is an independent predictor of diabetic gastroparesis in patients with T2D.

Real-Time Ultrasound-Computed Tomography Fusion with Volume Navigation to Assess Pancreatic Cystic Lesions.

Transabdominal ultrasound is a promising imaging modality for pancreatic cystic lesions. This study aims to determine if transabdominal ultrasonography with CT fusion (TAUS-f) using volume navigation can be used to measure pancreatic cystic lesions (PCLs) compared to CT alone. We evaluated 33 patients prospectively with known PCLs. The readers evaluated each PCL's size and imaging characteristics on TAUS-f and CT alone. These were compared to endoscopic ultrasonography reports. A total of 43 PCLs from 32 patients were evaluated. The detection rate by TAUS-f was 93%. Two of the three undetected PCLs were in the tail of the pancreas. Inter-reader variabilities for TAUS-f and CT were 0.005 cm and 0.03 cm, respectively. Subgroup analysis by size and location demonstrated that inter-modality variability between TAUS-f and CT was smallest for lesions < 1.5 cm with a size difference of -0.13 cm for each reader and smallest in the pancreatic head with a size difference of -0.16 cm and -0.17 cm for readers 1 and 2. We found that TAUS-f effectively evaluates PCLs compared to CT alone, thus suggesting that it should be considered part of the surveillance algorithm for a subset of patients.

Characteristics and usefulness of transabdominal ultrasonography in immune-mediated colitis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The usefulness of ultrasonography (US) in diseases of the gastrointestinal tract has been reported recently. This prospective study aimed to determine the features of US findings in immune-mediated colitis (IMC), an adverse event induced by immune checkpoint inhibitor, and examine the correlation between US findings, colonoscopy (CS) findings, and severity of colitis. METHODS: We studied patients examined using CS and US upon suspicion of IMC in Hokkaido University Hospital between April 2018 and February 2021. Endoscopic findings of IMC were assessed using the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS). The severity of US findings in IMC was evaluated using US grade, which is the ultrasonographic grading scale in ulcerative colitis. Bowel wall thickness and the intensity of the color Doppler signal were also analyzed. Severity of colitis was evaluated using Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) grade version 5. RESULTS: Fourteen patients with IMC were enrolled. The US findings were bowel wall thickening, loss of stratification, ulceration and increased blood flow signal. The US grade was moderately correlated with the UCEIS (r=0.687, p=0.009) and CTCAE grade (r=0.628, p=0.035). Bowel wall thickness and UCEIS (r=0.628, p=0.020), as well as color Doppler signal grade and CTCAE grade (r=0.724, p=0.008), were significantly correlated. CONCLUSIONS: US findings in IMC were mainly similar to those of ulcerative colitis, but there were some findings that were characteristic only of IMC. Significant correlation was found between US findings, CS findings, and severity of colitis. Hence, US could be useful for the evaluation of IMC.