The Diagnostic Role of Lung Ultrasound and Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Pulmonary Embolism.

The diagnosis of pulmonary embolism (PE) relies essentially on a probabilistic approach that requires careful clinical assessments, targeted laboratory tests, and the use of appropriate imaging tools. Nowadays, the diagnostic gold standard is computed tomographic pulmonary angiography. Lung ultrasound (LUS) can play a role in the diagnosis of PE mainly by allowing the visualization of peripheral lung infarctions. Hypoechoic, pleural-based parenchymal consolidation is the most typical and common finding of pulmonary infarction. More than 85% of infarct lesions are wedge-shaped, extending to the pleural surface and are localized to where the patient complains of pleuritic chest pain. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be performed in addition to basic ultrasound examination to ascertain nonvascularization of the consolidation, thus confirming that the lesion is an infarct. The aim of this narrative review is to summarize the latest evidence on the application of LUS to the diagnosis of PE, focusing purely on thoracic/lung signs.

Ultrasound-guided diagnosis on a parapharyngeal mass.

Masses in the parapharyngeal area are rare and often due to infectious phenomena arising from the oral cavity or pharynx which lead to abscess formation. Less frequently, the lesion can be neoplastic. Tumours of the parapharyngeal space are rare, accounting for less than 1% of all head and neck neoplasms. We report the case of a patient who came to our observation for mandibular pain. Multiparametric diagnostic imaging was done thus showing a parapharyngeal mass. An ultrasound guided biopsy was performed by a transcutaneous route with a high median approach at neck level, to characterize the mass in the right tonsillar region. The histological examination reported the final histological diagnosis of sarcomatoid carcinoma.

From NAFLD to MAFLD: Definition, Pathophysiological Basis and Cardiovascular Implications.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is defined as a chronic liver disease characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver without another obvious cause (no excessive alcohol consumption, hepatotoxic medications, toxins, viral infections, genetic hepatic diseases), therefore it is an exclusion diagnosis. The term NAFLD literally refers to non-alcohol related hepatopathy and does not adequately correlate with metabolic dysfunction and related cardiovascular risks. Therefore, researchers and scientific societies have moved towards changing the terminology. The novel nomenclature for a metabolic-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) has been proposed in 2020 by a group of experts to overcome the issues related to the old terminology. The diagnosis of MAFLD is based on the presence of hepatic steatosis and at least one between these three conditions: type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), obesity or metabolic dysregulation. MAFLD has been shown to be an independent risk factor for cardiovascular diseases and atherosclerosis. It is better related to the main risk factors for atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases than NAFLD, such as dyslipidemia, T2DM and hypertension. The aim of this review is to highlight the reasons why the term NAFLD is moving to the term MAFLD, what are the conceptual basis of this choice and its clinical implications, particularly in the cardiovascular field.

Abdominal ultrasound in the characterization of branch-duct intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms: A new tool for surveillance of low-risk patients?

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is regarded as gold-standard for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMNs) follow-up. Given the low risk of transformation and the increasing population under surveillance, there is growing interest in identifying optimal follow-up strategies. AIM: To evaluate reliability of abdominal ultrasound (US) for characterization of low-risk IPMN, compared to MRI. METHODS: Prospective monocentric study among 79 consecutive patients with a suspected BD-IPMN on US. Each patient underwent confirmatory MRI. We evaluated Cohen's kappa statistic and concordance rate (CR) between MRI and US. RESULTS: Of 79 suspected IPMNs on US, MRI confirmed 71 BD-IPMNs. There was high agreement for cyst location and number (CR and kappa of 77.5 % and 81.7 % and 0.66±0.08 and 0.62±0.11 respectively). We found high agreement for cyst size (CR=96.5 %, kappa=0.93±0.05) and main pancreatic duct (MPD) dilatation (CR=100 %, kappa=1). There was a good agreement for thickened septa (CR=80.3 %, kappa=0.38±0.12). US seems inferior to MRI for the identification of mural nodules < 5 mm (CR=97.2 %, kappa=0). CONCLUSIONS: In a cohort of low-risk BD-IPMN, US presented high agreement rate with MRI regarding location, number, and size. There was a good agreement for MPD dilatation and thickened septa, while US underperform for detection of mural nodules < 5 mm.