Combination of high-frequency ultrasound and virtual touch tissue imaging and quantification improve the diagnostic efficiency for mild carpal tunnel syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment symptom in the peripheral nerves. High-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) is widely used in the diagnosis of CTS. Virtual Touch Tissue Imaging and Quantification (VTIQ), which provides more information about the hardness of organization, is used to diagnose CTS. However, the data of diagnostic value of them in various degrees of CTS are limited. Whether the combination of HFUS and VTIQ can improve the diagnostic efficiency also remains unknown. The study aimed to explore the diagnostic value of HFUS and VTIQ in various degrees of CTS and whether combination of HFUS and VTIQ could improve the diagnostic efficiency of CTS. METHODS: A collection and analysis of 133 CTS patients and 35 volunteers from January 2016 to January 2019 were performed. We compared the clinical characteristics, cross-sectional area (CSA) value and shear wave velocity SWVmean value of CTS group with volunteer group. RESULTS: The CSA value and SWVmean value of CTS cohort were significantly higher than volunteer group (10.79 ± 2.88 vs. 8.06 ± 1.39, p < 0.001, 4.36 ± 0.95 vs. 3.38 ± 1.09, p < 0.001, respectively). The area under the curve (AUC) of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of CSA value and SWVmean value were 0.794 and 0.757, respectively. Hierarchical analysis of CSA value and SWVmean value showed that the AUC in the moderate and severe CTS group were higher than in mild CTS group. Furthermore, the CSA value combined with SWVmean value used to diagnose mild CTS was 0.758, which was higher than that of single CSA value or single SWVmean value. CONCLUSIONS: Both HFUS and VTIQ technology were feasible to evaluate CTS. HFUS was suitable for use in diagnosis of moderate and severe CTS. For mild CTS, combination of HFUS and VTIQ was relevant to improve the diagnostic efficiency of CTS.

Application of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and ultrasonography scores in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate diagnostic value of ultrasonography scores (US) and contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in evaluating rheumatoid arthritis (RA) activity. METHODS: 39 patients with RA were included and the metacarpophalangeal, proximal interphalangeal, wrist, elbow and knee joints of them were examined by high frequency ultrasound. The severe joints and the related indexes (synovial thickness, synovial blood flow, joint effusion and bone erosion) were exposed. Then scores (0~3) were obtained and the sum was calculated. For 12 patients of the 39, 2.4 ml SonoVue was intravenously injected with observation of synovial enhancing. ROIs time-intensity curve (TIC) was obtained and the parameters including area under curve (AUC), peak intensity (PI) and time to peak (TTP) were analyzed. For 39 patients, the relationships among each parameters, ultrasonography scores, DAS28 scores and biochemical examinations (ESR, CRP, RF, anti-CCP) were analyzed. RESULTS: The US were significantly correlated with DAS28 Scores (r=0.823, P<0.01=. The correlation between US and CRP was better than that between DAS28 scores and CRP (rUS =0.692, rDAS28=0.526, P<0.01). The synovial thickness in US were correlated with DAS28 Scores and biochemical examinations (ESR, CRP) (rDAS28=0.852, rESR=0.779, rCRP=0.587, P<0.01. The AUC and PI in CEUS were significantly correlated with US (rAUC=0.832, rPI=0.809, P<0.01=. The correlations among AUC, PI and ESR were better than that between US and ESR (rAUC=0.907, rPI=0.851, rUS=0.836, P<0.01=. The correlations among AUC, PI and CRP were better than that between US and CRP (rAUC=0.855, rPI=0.854, rUS=0.692, P<0.01. CONCLUSIONS: US was almost identical with DAS28 Scores and biochemical examinations (ESR, CRP) in diagnosis of RA activity, while CEUS was almost identical with DAS28 Scores and biochemical examinations (ESR, CRP). In diagnosis of RA, US may be better than DAS28 Scores, while CEUS better than US. Both of them were useful for evaluation of RA activity.

Evaluation of gastric emptying in diabetic gastropathy by an ultrasonic whole stomach cylinder method.

In order to explore the accuracy of ultrasonic whole stomach cylinder measurement (UWSCM) in the evaluation of gastric emptying, we measured the gastric emptying times (ET) at 25% (T1), 50% (T2) and 75% (T3) of healthy subjects and patients with diabetic gastropathy by UWSCM and scintigraphy. The ET of patients were compared with their clinical symptom scores. We found that the ET measured by UWSCM showed no significant difference with scintigraphy (p > 0.05). The correlation between them was good, and the correlation coefficient of T3 reached 0.744 (p < 0.05). All emptying times in the diabetic patients were longer than those in the healthy subjects (p < 0.05). The T3 in the diabetic group measured by UWSCM had the best correlation with the symptom index (r = 0.469, p < 0.05). We conclude that ET measured by UWSCM is accurate and T3 combining the symptoms index provides an accurate clinical basis for gastropathy.