Evaluation of Extrathyroidal Extension of Papillary Thyroid Microcarcinoma With Three-Dimensional Tomographic Ultrasound Imaging / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To evaluate extrathyroidal extension (ETE) in papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) with three-dimensional tomographic ultrasound imaging (3D-TUI). Methods A total of 97 thyroid nodules of 79 patients with PTMC treated in PUMC Hospital from February 2016 to January 2018 were included in this study.Two ultrasound experts performed independent blinded assessment of the relationship between thyroid nodules and thyroid capsule by two-dimensional ultrasound (2D-US) and 3D-TUI.The results of 2D-US and 3D-TUI in evaluating ETE were compared with intraoperative findings and postoperative histological and pathological results. Results Among the 97 nodules,54 (55.7%) nodules had ETE.The diagnostic sensitivity (68.5% vs.37.0%;χ2=10.737,P=0.002),accuracy (74.5% vs.56.7%;χ2=6.686,P=0.015),and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve[0.761 (95%CI=0.677-0.845) vs.0.592 (95%CI=0.504-0.680);Z=3.500,P<0.001] of 3D-TUI were higher than those of 2D-US.However,3D-TUI and 2D-US showed no significant difference in the specificity (84.1% vs.81.4%;χ2=0.081,P=0.776),negative predictive value (67.9% vs.50.7%;χ2=3.645,P=0.066),or positive predictive value (84.1% vs.71.4%;χ2=1.663,P=0.240). Conclusion Compared with 2D-US,3D-TUI demonstrates increased diagnostic efficiency for ETE of PTMC.

Prenatal diagnosis of aortic arch malformation using tomographic ultrasound imaging / 中国医学影像技术

Objective: To explore the value of spatio-temporal image correlation (STIC) with tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) technique in diagnosis of fetal aortic arch malformation. Methods: Ultrasonic data of 45 fetuses diagnosed as aortic arch malformation were reviewed retrospectively. Three-vessel and trachea view of 2D echocardiography (2DE) were used to analyze the aortic arch position in relation to the trachea, and to find the aberrant brachiocephalic arteries. Volume data were obtained, and TUI reconstruction was used to form transverse and coronal TUI slices to observe the arch position, the aberrant left or right subclavian arteries, the origin and convergence of bilateral aortic arches. Results: Totally 5 fetuses of double aortic arch, 9 fetuses of left aortic arch with aberrant right subclavian arteries and 31 fetuses of right aortic arch were included. The accuracy rate of STIC-TUI in diagnosis of fetal aortic arch anomalies was significantly higher than that of 2DE (97.78% [44/45] vs 71.11% [32/45]; P<0.01). Conclusion: Fetal aortic arch malformation can be accurately diagnosed using STIC-TUI, which can be widely used with standardized post-analysis in the future.

Comparison of two- and three-dimensional sonography for the prediction of the extrathyroidal extension of papillary thyroid carcinomas

BACKGROUND/AIMS: The purpose of this study was to compare the diagnostic validity of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) ultrasonography (US) when predicting the extrathyroidal extension of papillary thyroid cancer. METHODS: All 2D data were interpreted in real time and 3D data were stored, rendered using tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI), and then reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Extrathyroidal extension was present in 17 papillary thyroid cancers(24.3%) on pathology reports. The presence of contact was significantly associated with extrathyroidal extension on both 2D and 3D US (p = 0.007 and p = 0.003), and the sensitivity and specificity were not significantly different between 2D and 3D US (p = 1.000 and p = 0.754). The coexistence of protrusion and contact was not significantly associated with extrathyroidal extension on either 2D or 3D sonogram. CONCLUSIONS: Three-dimensional images rendered with TUI algorithms alone do not seem to be markedly superior to real-time 2D US in predicting the extrathyroidal extension of papillary thyroid cancer.

Tomographic ultrasound imaging for analyzing for the relative orientation of fetal heart and great arteries / 中国医学影像技术

Objective To assess the value of tomographic ultrasound imaging (TUI) for prenatal analysis of the relative orientation of fetal heart and great arteries. Methods Volume datasets acquired from 12 patients of transposition of the great arteries (TGA) and 13 normal fetal heart were evaluated offline with TUI. The aortic valves (AV) and pulmonary valves (PV) were respectively showed on the two parallel slices. According to the pivot point in the middle of the PV in one slice, the relative orientation of the AV on another slices were analyzed. Results In the 12 patients of TGA confirmed postnatally, 7 were concomitant with single ventricle anomaly, AV was on the anterior-right orientation of the PV in 5, and was relatively on the anterior and anterior-left orientation in other 2 of them.In the remained 5 with seeming normal 4 chamber view, AV was found on the anterior-right of the PV in 3, and was relatively on the anterior and upright orientation.in other 2 patients. In 13 normal fetuses, TUI showed that all AV located on the posterior-right orientation to the PV. Conclusion TUI can provide detailed spatial information of the great arteries both in normal and abnormal fetal heart. It may be a convenient and veracious tool for prenatal exploring the morphology of the great arteries.