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Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) has become the most common chronic liver disease, and liver fibrosis is closely associated with the prognosis in NAFLD; therefore, accurate assessment of liver fibrosis is of great importance. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD, but its clinical application is limited by invasiveness. Elastography technique based on ultrasound and magnetic resonance imaging has gradually been applied in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis associated with NAFLD. This article elaborates on the principles of the two techniques, compares their respective advantages and disadvantages, and introduces the advances in application in combination with artificial intelligence.
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Resumo Na esteira de estudos direcionados à placa aterosclerótica e em busca de variáveis quantificáveis que adicionem informações à tomada de decisão terapêutica, a avaliação a partir de elastografia shear wave (SWE) se apresenta como alternativa reprodutível e promissora. Utilizamos um único aparelho Logiq S8 (General Electric, Boston, Massachusetts, Estados Unidos) com um transdutor linear multifrequencial 8,5-11 MHz em 10 MHz em corte longitudinal. Consideramos critérios relevantes para a aquisição de imagem: adequada insonação longitudinal, diferenciação do complexo médio-intimal, delineamento de túnicas adventícias proximal e distal, lúmen vascular, boa visualização da placa aterosclerótica, ciclo em diástole ventricular e ausência de alterações incongruentes. A SWE é um método emergente e extremamente promissor no contexto da avaliação de placas carotídeas, podendo contribuir no futuro para a tomada de decisão terapêutica baseada em características relativas à placa aterosclerótica de forma reprodutível entre aparelhos e examinadores.
Abstract In the wake of studies targeting atherosclerotic plaques and searching for quantifiable variables that contribute additional information to therapeutic decision-making, plaque assessment using Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) is emerging as a reproducible and promising alternative. We used a single Logiq S8 device (General Electric, Boston, Massachusetts, United States) with an 8.5-11MHz multifrequency linear transducer at 10MHz in longitudinal section. We considered relevant criteria for image acquisition: adequate longitudinal insonation, differentiation of the intima-media complex, delineation of proximal and distal tunica adventitia and the vascular lumen, good visualization of the atherosclerotic plaque, cardiac cycle in ventricular diastole, and absence of incongruous changes. SWE is an emerging and extremely promising method for assessment of carotid plaques that may contribute to therapeutic decision-making based on characteristics related to the atherosclerotic plaque, with inter-device and inter-examiner reproducibility.
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Objective:To determine a relationship between ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) and pathological lessions of renal tissues in children with chronic kidney disease (CKD).Methods:It was a cross-sectional observational study, involving children admitted to the Department of Pediatrics of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology from January to December 2021 with definite pathological diagnosis through kidney biopsy. The SWE was used to determine the Young's modulus (elastic modulus) of the cortex and medulla of the upper, middle, and lower poles of the kidney. The renal histopathology was classified or graded. The statistical method was used to analyze the relationship between Young's modulus of the inferior polar cortex (YM cor) and medulla (YM med) of the right kidney and renal pathology. Results:The study included 110 children with definite pathological diagnosis through renal biopsy, aged (10.1±3.4) years old (2-17 years old), with 55 males (50.0%). The body mass index was (20.6±2.4) kg/m 2, and mean arterial pressure was (95±24) mmHg. There were 94 patients (85.4%) with CKD stage 1, 8 patients (7.3%) with CKD stage 2, and 8 patients (7.3%) with CKD stage 3. There was no significant difference of YM cor and YM med in the upper and middle poles of the right kidneys, and YM med in the lower poles of right kidneys in CKD patients with different stages (all P>0.05). Both YM cor [(15.75±3.36) kPa] and YM med [(13.50±2.43) kPa] of CKD stage 3 patients were significantly higher than those of CKD stage 1 patients [(12.94±2.45) kPa, (11.88±2.23) kPa](both P<0.05). There was no significant difference of YM cor and YM med in the lower poles of right kidneys between stage 1 and stage 2 CKD patients (both P>0.05). YM cor[(17.93±3.23) kPa] and YM med [(15.50±1.48) kPa] in patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis were higher than those in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis [(12.71±2.42) kPa, (11.57±2.63) kPa] and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis [(12.73±2.04) kPa, (11.48±2.10) kPa](all P<0.05). There was no significant difference of YM cor and YM med between focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (both P>0.05). YM cor [(16.30±2.63) kPa] and YM med [(15.54±1.59) kPa] of Lee's Ⅳ grade of IgA nephropathy were higher than those of Lee's Ⅲ grade [(13.32±2.70) kPa, (12.57±2.50) kPa](both P<0.05), while the International Study of Kidney Disease in Children grade of purpura nephritis had no significant correlation with YM cor and YM med (both P>0.05). YM cor [(15.41±2.37) kPa] and YM med [(13.82±2.59) kPa] of interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy (T1/T2) group of IgA nephropathy mixed with purpura nephritis were significantly higher than those of T0 group's [(12.99±2.40) kPa, (11.79±2.05) kPa] (both P<0.05). Moreover, crescent formation (C1) group had a higher YM cor [(14.21±2.77) kPa] and YM med [(12.80±2.47) kPa] than those in C0 group [(12.73±2.15) kPa, (11.59±1.97) kPa] (both P<0.05), while YM cor and YM med were unrelated to the mesangial hypercellularity (M), endocapillary cellularity (E), segmental sclerosis or adhesion (S) indicators (all P>0.05). In lupus nephritis patients, YM cor ( r=0.744, P=0.035) and YM med ( r=0.728, P=0.009) were favorably linked with the chronic index, but not with the activity index (both P>0.05). Conclusions:Renal interstitial fibrosis/tubular atrophy and crescentic development are connected with YM cor and YM med at the lower pole of the kidney as measured by SWE. SWE can be used to assess the chronic renal lesions in children with CKD in the early and middle stages. It may develop into a new noninvasive way to assess renal pathology.
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Objective:To explore the predictive value of transrectal multimodal ultrasound and prostate specific antigen (PSA) in clinically organ-confined prostate cancer.Methods:It was a cross-sectional study. The clinical data of patients with suspected prostate nodules treated in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University from May 2014 to April 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. Of the patients, 48 cases of clinically organ-confined prostate cancer and 51 cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia confirmed by clinical data and pathology were selected as research objects. The characteristics of transrectal multimodal ultrasound in the two groups were compared. Combined with PSA, logistic regression analysis was applied to screen the statistically significant features, and then the diagnosis model was established, and odds ratio of the variables were compared. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was constructed to analyze the predicting ability of the diagnosis model.Results:Four features were obtained with logistic regression analysis finally, including enhancement type, enhancement degree, elastography mode and PSA. The odds ratio of enhancement degree was higher than those of the other independent variables. The area under ROC curve of the diagnosis model was 0.868 ( P<0.01), the cut-off value was 0.514. The sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis model in predicting clinically organ-confined prostate cancer was 79.2% and 80.4%, respectively. Conclusions:This combined diagnosis model of transrectal multimodal ultrasound and PSA has a certain clinical value in predicting clinically organ-confined prostate cancer.
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Objective:To explore the clinical value of shear wave elastography in the diagnosis and pathological classification of nephrotic syndrome.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on the clinical data of 43 patients with primary nephrotic syndrome (primary nephrotic syndrome group) diagnosed through renal biopsy at the Yongchuan Hospital Affiliated to Chongqing Medical University from June 2022 to March 2023. They were further divided into three subgroups: mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis group, membranous nephropathy group, and minimal change nephropathy group. Another 30 healthy individuals were selected as the control group. We applied shear wave elastography to measure the shear wave velocity of the right renal lower pole parenchyma and statistically analyzed the differences in shear wave velocity between each group.Results:There was a statistically significant difference in shear wave velocity between the primary nephrotic syndrome group [(1.76±0.41)m/s] and the control group [(1.55±0.34)m/s] ( P<0.05); The shear wave velocity in the membranous nephropathy group [(1.97±0.36)m/s] was the highest, and there was a statistically significant difference ( P<0.05) compared to the small lesion nephropathy group [(1.54±0.42)m/s]; There was no statistically significant difference in shear wave velocity between the membranous nephropathy group and the mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis group [(1.74±0.38)m/s], as well as between the mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis group and the small lesion nephropathy group (all P>0.05). Conclusions:Shear wave elastography is a non-invasive examination that provides valuable clinical clues for the diagnosis and pathological classification of nephrotic syndrome by detecting the shear wave velocity of the kidney.
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Objective:To explore the diagnostic value of clinical, multi-parameter magnetic resonance imaging (MP-MRI) combined with transrectal ultrasound elasticity data for prostate cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on patient data from November 2021 to March 2023 when transrectal prostate two-dimensional ultrasound, real-time strain elastography of the prostate, MP-MRI examination of the prostate, and prostate biopsy were performed simultaneously at the Meizhou People′s Hospital. We collected patient age, height, weight, free serum prostate specific antigen (fPSA), total prostate specific antigen (tPSA), fPSA/tPSA, MRI prostate imaging report and data system (PI-RADS) scores, and ultrasound elasticity values. Four predictive models for prostate cancer diagnosis were constructed using multivariate logistic regression for comparison, and the optimal model was selected to construct a column chart. The diagnostic performance of different models was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves, and the diagnostic performance of column charts was evaluated using calibration curves.Results:This study included a total of 117 patients with 117 prostate lesions, 47 benign prostate lesions, and 70 prostate cancer lesions. There were statistically significant differences in age, fPSA, tPSA, fPSA/tPSA, PI-RADS scores, and ultrasound elasticity values between benign and malignant lesions patients (all P<0.01). The area under the curve (AUC) of the clinical model (age+ tPSA+ fPSA+ fPSA/tPSA), MRI model (PI-RADS score), ultrasound elastic model, and clinical+ MRI+ ultrasound elastic combined model for diagnosing prostate cancer were 0.86, 0.86, 0.92, and 0.98, respectively. Conclusions:Compared with a single diagnostic model, the combination of age, tPSA, fPSA/tPSA, PI-RADS scores, and ultrasound elasticity value model can improve the diagnostic rate of prostate cancer.
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Objective:To explore the relationship between renal ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) and renal biopsy pathology in patients with primary glomerulonephritis (PGN).Methods:A total of 137 confirmed PGN patients admitted to Bin hai wan Central Hospital of Dongguan from January 2021 to March 2023 were selected as the study subjects for quantitative analysis of renal SWE and pathological examination of renal biopsy. The differences in renal elastic modulus among different pathological types, as well as the relationship between renal elastic modulus and pathological factors of renal biopsy and IgA nephropathy Lee grading, were analyzed.Results:IgA nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, and minimal degenerative glomerulopathy were the most common pathological types of PGN, and the difference in renal elastic modulus among the three was not statistically significant (all P>0.05). The maximum elastic modulus of the immune complex deposition positive group was greater than that of the negative group ( P<0.05). The average, median, and maximum elastic modulus of the group with severe degree of foot cell fusion were lower than those of the group with mild degree of foot process fusion (all P<0.05). The average and maximum values of elastic modulus in the group with mesangial eosinophil deposition were higher than those in the group without mesangial eosinophil deposition (all P<0.05), while the maximum value of elastic modulus in the group with pericystic fibrosis was lower than that in the group without pericystic fibrosis ( P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in the renal elastic modulus values among the Lee grading subgroups of 61 IgA nephropathy cases (all P>0.05), and there was no correlation between Lee grading and renal elastic modulus values ( P>0.05). There was no statistically significant correlation analysis between the renal elastic modulus value and the glomerular sclerosis rate, the degree of mesangial cell and matrix proliferation, and the percentage of renal tubular atrophy area (all P>0.05). Conclusions:SWE is expected to provide new imaging diagnostic indicators for monitoring pathological damage factors in PGN. SWE may not be able to efficiently monitor the pathological progression of IgA nephropathy.
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Prostate cancer is the most common malignant tumor in the male urogenital system. Transrectal ultrasound has become a commonly used method for the diagnosis and biopsy of prostate cancer due to its simplicity, economy, and non radiation. This article will discuss the current application status and progress of traditional transrectal ultrasound, color doppler ultrasound, ultrasound imaging, elastic ultrasound, micro ultrasound, tissue scanning, and multimodal ultrasound in the diagnosis of prostate cancer.
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Objective:To analyze the value of shear wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating carotid artery elasticity in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).Methods:A total of 98 T2DM patients diagnosed in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University were selected and divided into three groups according to the results of liver ultrasound examination. 35 patients without NAFLD were in group A, 33 patients with mild NAFLD were in group B, and 30 patients with moderate to severe NAFLD were in group C. All selected individuals showed no plaque formation on carotid ultrasound examination. Left carotid artery intima-media thickness (IMT), carotid artery systolic diameter (Ds), carotid artery diastolic diameter (Dd), and peak systolic velocity (PSV) were measured using conventional two-dimensional and M-mode ultrasound. The stiffness coefficient (β) was obtained through calculation. SWE was used to measure the mean longitudinal modulus of elasticity (MEmean), mean minimum modulus of elasticity (MEmin), and mean maximum modulus of elasticity (MEmax) of the left carotid artery at the end of diastole.Results:There was no statistically significant difference in Ds, Dd, and PSV among the three groups (all P>0.05). Compared with group A and group B, group C had significantly higher IMT, β, MEmean, MEmax, and MEmin (all P<0.05). Compared with the group A, the group B had higher levels of MEmean, MEmax, and MEmin (all P<0.05), there was no statistically significant difference in IMT and β between the groups (all P>0.05). Correlation analysis showed that MEmax, MEmean, and MEmin in each group were positively correlated with β ( r=0.537, 0.543, 0.525, P<0.01), and also positively correlated with HbA 1c ( r=0.456, 0.483, 0.438, P<0.01), but not with IMT (all P>0.05). The intra observer Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of MEmax, MEmean and MEmin measured by SWE was 0.847-0.887, and the inter observer ICC was 0.791-0.934, indicating a good repeatability. Conclusions:SWE can quantitatively evaluate the elasticity of the carotid artery in patients with T2DM and NAFLD.
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Objective:To investigate the value of liver ultrasonic elasticity index combined with aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index (APRI), fibrosis index based on the four factors (FIB-4) and globulin platelet model (GP) in the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis complicated with liver cirrhosis.Methods:From January 2020 to January 2022, 82 patients with autoimmune hepatitis and cirrhosis treated in West China Hospital of Sichuan University were selected as observation group, and 90 patients with autoimmune hepatitis were selected as controls (control group). All of them underwent liver ultrasound elastic examination, and the APRI, FIB-4, GP of patients were calculated. The differences of shear wave velocity (SWV), liver hardness value (LSM), strain rate ratio (SR), APRI, FIB-4, GP between the two groups were compared. At the same time, the differences of SWV, LSM, SR, APRI, FIB-4 and GP among patients with autoimmune hepatitis with different degrees of liver fibrosis and inflammation were analyzed. The value of liver ultrasound elasticity index, APRI, FIB-4 and GP in predicting autoimmune hepatitis complicated with cirrhosis was evaluated by the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.Results:The SWV, LSM, FIB-4 and GP in the observation group were (1.60±0.21)m/s, (13.98±1.82)kPa, (8.10±1.43) and (4.15±1.05) respectively, which were significantly higher than those in the control group (all P<0.05), while SR and APRI were (5.04±0.98) and (2.41±0.92) respectively, which were significantly lower than those in the control group (all P<0.05). With the aggravation of liver fibrosis, the levels of SWV, LSM, FIB-4 and GP in patients with autoimmune hepatitis were higher (all P<0.05), while the SR and APRI were lower (all P<0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in SWV, LSM, SR, APRI, FIB-4 and GP between patients with G1-G2 and G3-G4 inflammatory degree of autoimmune hepatitis (all P>0.05). SWV, LSM, SR, APRI, FIB-4 and GP were included in the binary logistic regression analysis, and SWV, FIB-4 and GP were finally selected as independent predictors for diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis with cirrhosis (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve of combined prediction of SWV, FIB-4 and GP for autoimmune hepatitis with cirrhosis was 0.931, which was significantly higher than other indicators (all P<0.05), and the sensitivity and specificity were 95.00% and 84.00% respectively. Conclusions:Liver ultrasonic elasticity index, APRI, FIB-4 and GP are related to the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. SWV, FIB-4 combined with GP have high application value in predicting autoimmune hepatitis complicated with liver cirrhosis.
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Objective:To investigate the clinical value of endoscopic ultrasound elastography versus contrast-enhanced computed tomography in the risk stratification of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs). Methods:Clinical and imaging data were obtained from 77 patients who were confirmed to have GISTs and underwent endoscopic or surgical treatment at Wenzhou Central Hospital between May 2019 and April 2021. Endoscopic ultrasound elastography based on a five-point scoring system and hypotonic gastrointestinal contrast-enhanced computed tomography were performed for preoperative risk stratification of GISTs. The two techniques were compared in terms of the accuracy of preoperative risk stratification of GISTs. The imaging features of the two techniques were summarized.Results:According to the postoperative pathological results, 13 patients were at high risk, 13 patients were at medium risk, 35 patients were at low risk, and 16 patients were at extremely low risk. These patients were divided into two groups according to postoperative pathological results: a low-risk group (low risk + extremely low risk) and a medium- and high-risk group (high + medium risk). In the low-risk group ( n = 51), 42 patients were identified by endoscopic ultrasound elastography to have low-risk GISTs and were recommended to receive endoscopic treatment, while the rest 9 patients were identified to have medium-risk GISTs. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings revealed that 30 patients had low-risk GISTs and were recommended to receive endoscopic treatment, and 21 patients had medium-risk GISTs. In the medium- and high-risk group ( n = 26), 4 patients were identified by endoscopic ultrasound elastography to have low-risk GISTs, and 22 patients had medium- or high-risk GISTs. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography findings revealed that 9 patients were identified to have low-risk GISTs, and 17 patients had medium- or high-risk GISTs. Endoscopic ultrasound elastography yielded an overall diagnostic accuracy of 83.11% (64/77), while contrast-enhanced computed tomography had an overall diagnostic accuracy of 61.04% (47/77). Endoscopic ultrasound elastography outperformed contrast-enhanced computed tomography in accurate risk stratification of GISTs ( χ2 = 4.66, P < 0.05). In terms of predicting high-risk GISTs, endoscopic ultrasound elastography had a sensitivity of 84.62% and a specificity of 82.35%, both were higher than those of contrast-enhanced computed tomography (sensitivity: 65.38%; specificity: 58.82%), but the differences in sensitivity and specificity between the two techniques were not significant (sensitivity: Fisher's exact test P = 0.590, specificity: χ2 = 0.93, P > 0.05). Conclusion:Endoscopic ultrasound elastography appears to have a better overall diagnostic accuracy in the risk stratification of GISTs compared with contrast-enhanced computed tomography. The combined use of these two techniques may offer a better comprehensive understanding of the perilesional structure and organ involvements and distant metastasis than a single technique, thereby providing a reliable reference for the choice of treatment for GISTs.
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ABSTRACT Background: Evaluate the role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by transient elastography (TE) as a risk factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) occurrence in a prospective cohort of Brazilian hepatitis C virus (HCV) patients with cirrhosis. Methods: A cohort of 99 consecutive HCV patients was included between 2011 and 2016 with baseline LSM ≥12 kilopascals (kPa). Baseline variables were evaluated and HCC occurrence was documented. Kaplan-Meier methods with a log-rank test and the use of cox univariate and multivariate analysis assessed the association between variables and clinical results. Results: The mean age was 57.8±10.6 years. In a follow-up over a mean of 3.3 years, 20 (20.2%) patients developed HCC. In univariate logistic regression analysis, variables associated with HCC occurrence were: lower platelet count (P=0.0446), higher serum alpha-fetoprotein (P=0.0041) and bilirubin (P=0.0008) values, higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (P=0.0068) and higher LSM (P=0.0354). LSM evaluated by TE was independently associated with HCC development, and the best cut-off value for higher HCC risk was >21.1 kPa (HR: 5.548; 95%CI: 1.244-24.766; P=0.025). Conclusion: A high value of liver stiffness relates substantially to an increased risk for HCC occurrence in Brazilian patients with cirrhosis due to HCV.
RESUMO Contexto: O carcinoma hepatocelular (CHC) é o tumor maligno hepático mais comum, e a cirrose é o principal fator de risco para o seu desenvolvimento. Objetivo: Avaliar o papel da medição da rigidez hepática por elastografia transitória (ET) como fator de risco para ocorrência de CHC em uma coorte prospectiva de pacientes brasileiros com cirrose por vírus da hepatite C (VHC). Métodos: Um total de 99 pacientes com VHC e medida de rigidez hepática ≥12 kilopascals (kPa) foram incluídos consecutivamente, entre 2011 e 2016. As variáveis do baseline foram avaliadas e a ocorrência de CHC foi documentada. Os testes de Kaplan-Meier e log-rank, além das análises uni e multivariadas de Cox avaliaram a associação entre as variáveis e os resultados clínicos. Resultados: A média de idade foi de 57,8±10,6 anos. Vinte (20,2%) pacientes desenvolveram CHC, num período médio de seguimento de 3,3 anos. Na análise de regressão logística univariada, as variáveis associadas à ocorrência de CHC foram: contagem de plaquetas mais baixa (P=0,0446), valores séricos mais elevados de alfa-fetoproteína (P=0,0041) e de bilirrubina (P=0,0008), maior pontuação do escore MELD (P=0,0068) e valores mais altos de rigidez hepática por ET (P=0,0354). A medição da rigidez hepática por ET foi independentemente associada ao desenvolvimento de CHC, e o melhor valor de corte para maior risco de CHC foi >21,1kPa (HR: 5,548; IC95%: 1,244-24,766; P=0,025). Conclusão: Um alto valor de rigidez hepática está relacionado substancialmente a um risco aumentado de ocorrência de CHC em pacientes brasileiros com cirrose por HCV.
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Abstract Objective: To evaluate the association between shear wave elastography parameters and arterial resistance in kidney transplant recipients. Materials and Methods: This was a prospective cross-sectional study involving consecutive adult kidney transplant recipients. All patients underwent color Doppler to evaluate the resistive index (RI) and ultrasound shear wave elastography for the quantification of renal allograft stiffness. Results: We evaluated 55 patients, of whom 9 (16.4%) had an RI defined as abnormal (≥ 0.79) and 46 (83.6%) had an RI defined as normal (< 0.79). The mean age was higher in the abnormal RI group than in the normal RI group (68.0 ± 8.6 years vs. 42.6 ± 14.1 years; p < 0.001), as was the mean shear wave velocity (2.6 ± 0.4 m/s vs. 2.2 ± 0.4 m/s; p = 0.013). Multivariate analysis identified two independent predictors of arterial resistance: age (OR = 1.169; 95% CI: 1.056 to 1.294; p = 0.003) and shear wave velocity (OR = 17.1; 95% CI: 1.137 to 257.83; p = 0.040). Conclusion: We observed an association between rigidity in the cortex of the transplanted kidney, as evaluated by shear wave elastography, and arterial resistance, as evaluated by color Doppler, in kidney transplant recipients.
RESUMO Objetivo: Avaliar a associação entre parâmetros de elastografia por onda de cisalhamento e resistência arterial em pacientes transplantados renais. Materiais e Métodos: Estudo transversal prospectivo. O estudo incluiu de forma consecutiva indivíduos adultos transplantados renais. Foram coletados dados demográficos e clínicos. Todos os pacientes foram submetidos à técnica ultrassonográfica para avaliação do índice de resistência (IR) e à quantificação da elasticidade do tecido por ondas de cisalhamento para avaliar a rigidez do aloenxerto renal. Resultados: Foram avaliados 55 pacientes. A média de idade e a velocidade da onda de cisalhamento foram maiores em pacientes com IR ≥ 0,79 (respectivamente, 68,0 ± 8,6 anos e 2,6 ± 0,4 m/s) quando comparados a pacientes com IR < 0,79 (respectivamente, 42,6 ± 14,1 anos, p < 0,001 e 2,2 ± 0,4 m/s, p = 0,013). A análise multivariada identificou a idade (OR = 1,169, IC 95%: 1,056 a 1,294; p = 0,003) e a velocidade da onda de cisalhamento (OR = 17,1, IC 95%: 1,137 a 257,83; p = 0,040) como fatores independentes associados a resistência arterial. Conclusão: Observou-se associação entre a rigidez do córtex do transplante renal avaliada por elastografia por onda de cisalhamento e a resistência arterial em pacientes pós-transplantados renais avaliados por Doppler.
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In recent years, the incidence rate of breast cancer has increased rapidly and is tending to be younger. The application of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can reduce the tumor stage, which is conducive to surgical resection or breast conserving surgery. Therefore, it is very important to evaluate the curative effect of NAC in breast cancer by imaging for the choice of operation timing. In recent years, with the rapid development of new ultrasound technologies such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography, these new technologies can provide more abundant imaging information and basis for individualized treatment of breast cancer, which has become a research hotspot of the curative effect of breast cancer NAC. This article reviews the research progress of new ultrasound technology in evaluating the curative effect of NAC in breast cancer in recent years.
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ABSTRACT Introduction: In addition to conservative modalities in the treatment of Achilles tendon injuries, open, percutaneous and minimally invasive semi-open techniques, as well as biological open surgical repair methods are used as surgical options. Compression elastography is one of the methods used for the follow-up of treatment in Achilles tendon injuries. Methods: 23 patients were included in our study between July 2013 and June 2014, as long as they had at least 4 years of follow-up. In the final control, the intact side and the operated side were both examined and compared. The variables were the American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Score (AOFAS) which is measured as a functional score considering plantar flexion and dorsiflexion; calf circumference; Achilles tendon anteroposterior (AP) diameter; and elastographic examination. Results: The strain ratio value and AP diameter of the patients was significantly higher on the operated side than on the non-operated side (p <0.001). There was no significant difference between the plantar flexion and dorsiflexion degrees on the operated side of the patients(p> 0.05). No correlation was observed between strain ratio and AOFAS (p: 0,995). Conclusion: Elastography is not a useful technique to evaluate functional results on long-term tendon healing. Level of Evidence III; Retrospective comparative study.
RESUMO Introdução: Além de métodos mais conservadores de terapia, utilizam-se, como opções cirúrgicas para o tratamento das lesões do tendão do calcâneo, técnicas abertas, percutâneas e semiabertas minimamente invasivas, bem como métodos cirúrgicos de reparo aberto. A elastografia por compressão é um dos métodos utilizados para o acompanhamento do tratamento das lesões do tendão do calcâneo. Métodos: Entre julho de 2013 e junho de 2014, 23 pacientes com pelo menos 4 anos de seguimento foram incluídos em nosso estudo. No controle final, o lado intacto e o lado operado foram examinados e comparados. As variáveis foram o American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Score, que foi medido como pontuação funcional por meio da flexão plantar e dorsiflexão; a circunferência da panturrilha; o diâmetro anteroposterior (AP) do tendão do calcâneo; e exame elastográfico. Resultados: O índice de tensão e o diâmetro AP dos pacientes foram significativamente maiores no lado operado do paciente que no lado não operado. Não houve diferença significativa entre os graus de flexão plantar e dorsiflexão dos pacientes no lado operado (p> 0,05). Não foi observada correlação entre strain ratio e AOFAS(p: 0,995). Conclusão: Acreditamos que a elastografia não seja uma técnica útil para avaliar os resultados funcionais na cicatrização do tendão em longo prazo. Nível de evidência III; Estudo comparativo retrospectivo.
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Objective To investigate the value of transient elastography (TE) in the staging of hepatic fibrosis in patients with autoimmune liver disease (ALD). Methods PubMed, Embase, the Cochrane Library, CNKI, Wanfang Data, and VIP databases were searched for English and Chinese articles on TE in the staging of hepatic fibrosis in ALD published from January 2000 to January 2021. Two reviewers independently performed data extraction for the articles included, and QUADAS2 was used for quality assessment. The bivariate mixed effects model in Stata 15.0 software was used to perform the Meta-analysis. Results A total of 11 articles were included, with 1041 patients in total. In the diagnosis of significant hepatic fibrosis (F≥2), TE had a pooled sensitivity of 0.81 (95% CI : 0.75-0.86), a specificity of 0.87(95% CI 0.79-0.92), and an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.91(95% CI 0.88-0.93); in the diagnosis of advanced hepatic fibrosis (F≥3), TE had a pooled sensitivity of 0.81(95% CI 0.74-0.87), a sensitivity of 0.90(95% CI 0.85-0.93), and an AUC of 0.92(95% CI 0.90-0.94); in the diagnosis of early-stage liver cirrhosis (F4), TE had a pooled sensitivity of 0.87(95% CI 0.74-0.93), a specificity of 0.93(95% CI 0.87-0.97), and an AUC of 0.96(95% CI 0.94-0.97). Conclusion TE has a good diagnostic value in evaluating significant liver fibrosis, advanced liver fibrosis, and early-stage liver cirrhosis in patients with ALD, especially with a relatively high diagnostic accuracy for early-stage liver cirrhosis.
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Objective:To explore the value of MR elastography (MRE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) for staging liver fibrosis in a rabbit model.Methods:From March to November 2020, 200 healthy New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into control group ( n=40) and liver fibrosis group ( n=160) by random number table method. The volume ratio of CCl 4 and olive oil was 1∶1 to prepare 50% CCl 4 oil solution, and the experimental rabbits in the liver fibrosis group were subcutaneously injected with 50% CCl 4 olive oil solution. It was injected once a week at the dose of 0.1 ml/kg in the first to third weeks, once a week at the dose of 0.2 ml/kg in the 4th to 6th weeks. The dose of 0.1 ml/kg was injected twice a week from week 7 to 16. The control group were subcutaneously injected with an equal dose of normal saline. At the end of the 4th, 8th, 12th, and 16th week, 40 and 10 animals in the liver fibrosis group and the control group were randomly selected by random number table method for MRE and SWE, respectively, to obtain the liver elastic stiffness (LS), which were recorded as LS MRE and LS SWE. After the examination, the experimental rabbits were sacrificed and liver tissue of rabbits were taken for histopathological Scheuer staging, and they were divided into F0-F4 groups. One-way ANOVA was used to evaluate the differences of LS MRE and LS SWE in different stages of liver fibrosis. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between LS and pathological stages. The receiver operating characteristic curve was used to evaluate the efficacy of LS MRE and LS SWE in diagnosing liver fibrosis staging, and the area under the curve (AUC) was compared using the Z test. Results:Totally 162 rabbits were included, which covered F0 ( n=38), F1 ( n=33), F2 ( n=35), F3 ( n=31) and F4 ( n=25). Significant differences of LS MRE and LS SWE values were found among different stages of liver fibrosis ( F=295.29, 102.40, both P<0.001). LS MRE, LS SWE were both positively correlated with liver fibrosis stage ( r=0.93, 0.81, both P<0.001). The AUC of LS MRE for diagnosing liver fibrosis stages ≥F1, ≥F2, ≥F3, and ≥F4 were 0.955, 0.967, 0.996, and 0.980, respectively; the AUC of LS SWE were 0.856, 0.880, 0.974, and 0.953, respectively. The AUC of liver fibrosis stage ≥ F1, ≥ F2 for LS MRE value were greater than LS SWE value ( Z=2.93, 3.29, P=0.003, 0.001), and the AUC of ≥F3, ≥F4 had no significant differences ( Z=1.58, 1.68, P=0.115, 0.093). Conclusion:Both MRE and SWE can accurately predict the stage of liver fibrosis in experimental rabbits, and MRE is better than SWE in diagnosing early liver fibrosis.
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Objective To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of FibroScan-AST (FAST) score in patients with high-risk nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with a nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) activity score of ≥4 and significant liver fibrosis (F ≥2), along with comparison with other serological models. Methods A total of 84 consecutively admitted patients hospitalized in Ruijin Hospital from January 2015 to December 2020 and biopsy-confirmed NAFLD/NASH were included in this study, and FibroScan (liver stiffness measurement and controlled attenuation parameter) and blood biochemical tests were performed at one week before and after liver biopsy. A Kruskal-Wallis H analysis of variance was used for comparison between multiple groups, and Spearman's correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between variables. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was plotted with pathological results as the "gold standard", and the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and classification accuracy were calculated based on the cut-off values determined by previous studies. In subgroup analysis, the patients were divided into subgroups based on different clinical indices to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of each model, which was expressed as AUC (95% confidence interval [ CI ]). Results Among the 84 patients, 43 had high-risk NASH. The FAST score was 0.54(0.04-0.93) for all patients, and the FAST score for liver fibrosis stages F0-F4 was 0.26(0.06-0.73), 0.48(0.04-0.82), 0.61(0.13-0.75), 0.64(0.09-0.93), and 0.82(0.75-0.89), respectively, with a significant difference between stages ( H =23.360, P < 0.001). FAST score was positively correlated with liver fibrosis stage ( r =0.491, P < 0.001). NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS), fibrosis-4 (FIB-4), and aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index were positively correlated with liver fibrosis stage ( r =0.230, 0.346, and 0.281, all P < 0.05), with a weaker correlation than FAST score. FAST score had an AUC of 0.725 (95% CI : 0.617-0.834, P < 0.001) in evaluating high-risk NASH. According to the low cut-off value determined by previous studies, FAST score ≤0.35 excluded high-risk NASH in 21 patients (25%) with an NPV of 71%; according to the high cut-off value, FAST score ≥0.67 helped to make a confirmed diagnosis of high-risk NASH in 19 patients (22.6%) with a PPV of 74%. NFS and FIB-4 had an AUC of 0.633(95% CI : 0.513-0.753) and 0.686(95% CI : 0.570-0.803), respectively, in the diagnosis of high-risk NASH ( P < 0.05). Conclusion FAST score can accurately determine the presence or absence of high-risk NASH in NAFLD patients with or without metabolic risk factors, and selection of appropriate cut-off values can help some patients avoid liver biopsy.
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Portal hypertension-related complications are the major cause of death in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). Hepatic venous pressure gradient is the golden standard for assessing portal hypertension, and upper gastrointestinal endoscopy is an important method for screening and assessing esophageal and gastric varices and its severity; both methods are invasive and inappropriate for portal hypertension screening and monitoring. Noninvasive approaches, such as transient elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse, and shear wave elastography, have been used for the evaluation of portal hypertension in ACLD patients, especially the screening, stratified diagnosis, and monitoring of clinically significant portal hypertension.
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Objective:To investigate the diagnostic value of endoscopic ultrasound elastography (EUS-E) in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration (EUS-FNA) for malignant occupying lesions in gastrointestinal adjacent tissue.Methods:Clinical data of 54 patients (57 lesions) undergoing EUS-FNA from January 2020 to April 2021 in the General Hospital of Ningxia Medical University were collected. Thirty patients (31 lesions) who received FNA assisted by EUS-E from May 2020 to February 2021 were enrolled in the EUS-E group, and 24 patients (26 lesions) who underwent routine EUS-FNA without EUS-E in the non-EUS-E group. The diagnostic efficacy of EUS-FNA was evaluated.The diagnostic efficacy of EUS-E group and non EUS-E group was compared. EUS-E score of EUS-E group was analyzed.Results:The overall sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of EUS-FNA in the diagnosis of malignant occupying lesions in gastrointestinal adjacent tissue were 80.5% (33/41), 100.0% (16/16), 100.0% (33/33), 66.7% (16/24) and 86.0% (49/57), respectively. There were no significant differences in sensitivity [78.6% (22/28) VS 84.6% (11/13), P=0.232] or accuracy [83.8% (31/37) VS 90.0% (18/20), P=0.156] of EUS-FNA for pancreatic lesions and other lesions (mediastinal and celiac lesions). Postoperative complications occurred in 1 patient (1.85%, 1/54). Also there were no significant differences in sensitivity [84.0% (21/25) VS 81.3% (13/16), P=0.186] or accuracy [87.1% (27/31) VS 88.5% (23/260, P=0.186] of diagnosis of malignant occupying lesions between EUS-E group and non-EUS-E group. In the EUS-E group, EUS-E score≥3 was highly consistent with the definite diagnosis ( Kappa=0.63). Conclusion:EUS-FNA is a safe and effective cytological and pathological method for diagnosis in gastrointestinal adjacent tissue. EUS-E score can well predict benign and malignant lesions, but EUS-FNA assisted by EUS-E does not show superiority in diagnostic sensitivity or accuracy.