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Objective:To investigate the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) features in preoperative screening of patients with uterine fibroids treated by magnetic resonance imaging guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS).Methods:The preoperative CEUS features of 28 patients (32 lesions) with uterine fibroids treated by MRgFUS in Xijing Hospital of Air Force Military Medical University from January 2018 to March 2021 were analyzed. The relationships between the imaging features of lesions and the necrosis range were evaluated, which included echo intensity in gray-scale ultrasound, the patterns of the perfusion intensity, perfusion distribution, the contrast agent into the model, lesions with entangled branch vessels, ring-like enhancement, and perfusion regression.Results:The gray-scale ultrasound showed that 68.75%(22/32) lesions were hypoechoic. The CEUS showed that 81.25%(26/32) lesions were iso/hypo-enhancement, 65.63%(21/32) lesions were heterogeneous enhancement, 68.75%(22/32) lesions with entangled branch vessels, 71.88%(23/32) lesions with ring-like enhancement, and 75%(24/32) lesions with fast-out enhancement. The 6 indicators above-mentioned had effects on the non-perfusion volume ratio≥50%, the differences were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Conclusions:CEUS can evaluate the blood flow characteristics in uterine fibroids, providing important information for preoperative screening of uterine fibroids for MRgFUS ablation.
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Objective To evaluate the diagnostic value of gray-scale ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in thyroid imaging and reporting system ( TI-RADS) 3-5 nodules of American College of Radiology ( ACR) . Methods The 208 patients( 216 nodules) who underwent thyroid contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination from April 2014 to December 2016 were retrospectively analyzed . The ACR TI-RADS classification and contrast-enhanced mode of thyroid ultrasound were evaluated . The benign and malignant thyroid lesions were constructed through the analysis of contrast-enhanced mode of thyroid benign and malignant lesions in the past literature and the preliminary study of our group . Prediction model of gray scale combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound for lesions were established . Besides ,the sensitivity ,specificity and accuracy of gray scale ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound prediction model for differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid lesions were calculated based on the results of puncture biopsy or surgical pathology as the gold standard . Results Compared with pathological results , the positive predictive value , negative predictive value , accuracy , sensitivity and specificity of gray scale combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound in evaluating thyroid nodules were 90 .8％ ,93 .3％ ,91 .2％ ,98 .8％ and 62 .2％ ,respectively . Conclusions Gray-scale ultrasound combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound can provide clinical value in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant TI-RADS 3-5 thyroid nodules .
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Objective: To investigate the value of CEUS perfusion patterns in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules. Methods: CEUS images and clinical data of 111 patients with thyroid nodules (111 nodules) were retrospectively analyzed. Benign and malignant nodules were diagnosed through evaluating their contrast perfusion patterns. Taken pathology as the final diagnostic criteria, the efficacy of CEUS in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules was evaluated. Results: Totally 14 cases were diagnosed as benign nodules and 97 as malignant nodules. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of CEUS in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules were 92.78% (90/97), 64.29% (9/14), 89.19% (99/111), 94.74% (90/95) and 56.25% (9/16), respectively. Conclusion: CEUS perfusion patterns are valuable in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules.
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OBJECTIVE To study the antitumor activity and underlying mechanisms of Xiaoaiping injection(Xap)combined with gefitinib(Gef)in nude mice bearing resistant non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cells H460 or H975. METHODS BALB/c nude mice were inoculated with human NSLCL cells H460 or H1975 and the drug treatment did not start until the tumor volume reached 50-100 mm3. The tumor bearing mice were divided into four groups:control group,Xap group(5 g · kg-1,ip),Gef group (50 mg · kg-1,ig),and Xap plus Gef group. All the administration lasted for 21 d continuous. Tumor volumes were measured two or three times per week,and the body weight of animals was re-corded. At the end of the test,tumors were weighed after the sacrifice of mice. Tumor inhibition rate and relative tumor proliferation rate were calculated based on tumor weight and tumor volume. The related biomarkers and proteins in tumor tissues were detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot assay, respectively. RESULTS Compared with the control group,no significant effect was observed on the growth of H460 and H1975 xenografts in groups of Xap or Gef alone in nude mice. However,the two-drug combination significantly suppressed tumor volume,with (1103 ± 340) versus (3020 ± 450) mm3 for H460 and(487 ± 153)versus(1269 ± 161)mm3 for H1975,respectively(P<0.05). The combined Xap and Gef application also significantly reduced the tumor weight,with(1.20±0.52)versus(2.78± 0.93)g for H460 and(0.52 ± 0.32)versus(0.92 ± 0.42)g for H1975,respectively(P<0.05). The relative tumor proliferation rate and inhibition rate in the combination group was 42.1%and 43.5%for H460(P<0.01),43.0%and 52.5% for H1975(P<0.01). Compared with Xap and Gef drug alone,their combination showed significant difference in reducing tumor weight,suppressing tumor proliferation rate and increasing tumor inhibition rate(P<0.05). Immunohistochemistry results showed that each drug alone had no effect on tumor angiogenesis markers of vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and CD105 expression,or on drug resistance related proteins of p-ERK,p-Akt and p-mTOR,whereas the combination of Xap and Gef obviously reduced the expression of these biomarkers in H460 and H1975 tumor tissues. The decreased drug resistance related proteins of p-PI3K and its downstream molecules p-Akt,p-ERK and p-mTOR by the two-drug combination were also confirmed by Western blot results(P<0.01,compared with control), and showed significant difference compared with each single treatment(P<0.05). CONCLUSION The addition of Xap significantly improves the antitumor activity of Gef in H460 and H1975 xenografts,and this synergistic effect may be ascribed to the inhibition of tumor angiogenesis,the down-regulation of PI3K and its downstream signaling molecules which are associated with drug resistance.