Mamografía con contraste: nuestra experiencia / Contrast-enhanced digital mammography: our experience

Resumen La mamografía contrastada (CEDM, contrast-enhanced digital mammography) es una herramienta nueva que ha ido implementándose de forma creciente. Aparece como alternativa a la resonancia magnética (RM), y al igual que esta, tiene como principio el uso de contraste endovenoso para explorar la angiogénesis tumoral. Combina la imagen de mamografía convencional (Mx) con la técnica de sustracción con energía dual poscontraste, lo que resulta en un incremento en la detección de cáncer de mama, en un tiempo corto de estudio y a un bajo costo. Es un método prometedor en casos seleccionados y de fácil lectura, siendo útil principalmente en pacientes con diagnóstico de cáncer de mama para detectar lesiones adicionales y determinar el tamaño tumoral, ayudando en la planificación quirúrgica, así como también en la evaluación de la respuesta a la neoadyuvancia. También en el seguimiento de pacientes operadas, para caracterizar lesiones dudosas en Mx y ecografía, o como alternativa ante contraindicación de la RM. El objetivo de este trabajo es valorar la utilidad de la mamografía contrastada en la práctica diaria y determinar sus principales indicaciones. Repasamos con casos propios las utilidades y características del método.

Abstract Contrast-enhanced digital mammography (CEDM) is an emerging tool that has been increasingly implemented. It appears as an alternative to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), using intravenous contrast to explore tumor angiogenesis. It combines conventional mammography (Mx) with post-contrast dual energy subtraction technique, resulting in increased detection of breast cancer, in a short study time and at a low cost. It is a promising method in selected cases and easy to read, being useful mainly in patients with breast cancer to detect additional lesions and determine the tumor size, that helps surgical planning, as well as in the evaluation of post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy response in the follow-up of patients treated with surgery, to address inconclusive findings in screening mammogram, or as an alternative when MRI is contraindicated. The purpose of this article is to assess the usefulness of contrasted mammography in daily practice and to determine its main indications. We review with our own cases the applications and characteristics of this method.

Advantages of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the localization and diagnostics of sentinel lymph nodes in breast cancer / 浙江大学学报（英文版）（B辑：生物医学和生物技术）

Sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs) are the first station of lymph nodes that extend from the breast tumor to the axillary lymphatic drainage. The pathological status of these LNs can predict that of the entire axillary lymph node. Therefore, the accurate identification of SLNs is necessary for sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) to replace axillary lymph node dissection (ALND). The quality of life and prognosis of breast cancer patients are related to proper surgical treatment after the precise identification of SLNs. Some of the SLN tracers that have been identified include radioisotope, nano-carbon, indocyanine green (ICG), and methylene blue (MB). However, these tracers have certain limitations, such as pigmentation, radiation dangers, and the requirement for costly detection equipment. Ultrasound contrast agents (UCAs) have good specificity and sensitivity, and thus can compensate for some shortcomings of the mentioned tracers. This technique is also being applied to SLNB in patients with breast cancer, and can even provide an initial judgment on SLN status. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has the advantages of high distinguishability, simple operation, no radiation harm, low cost, and accurate localization; therefore, it is expected to replace the traditional biopsy methods. In addition, it can significantly enhance the accuracy of SLN localization and shorten the operation time.

Application of transrectal contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in different tPSA intervals / 现代泌尿外科杂志

【Objective】 To investigate the clinical value of transrectal contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in different total prostate specific antigen (tPSA) intervals. 【Methods】 According to serum tPSA levels, 96 patients meeting the inclusion criteria were divided into 3 groups:4-10 ng/mL, >10-20 ng/mL and >20 ng/mL groups. All patients underwent transrectal CEUS. With pathological results as reference, the diagnostic value of transrectal CEUS in different tPSA intervals was evaluated. 【Results】 Of the 96 cases, 62 were confirmed by pathology as prostate cancer and 34 as benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). The main perfusion characteristics of prostate cancer under CEUS were rapid enhancement (64.52%), rapid clearance (70.97%), uneven enhancement (83.87%) and high enhancement (61.29%);the main characteristics of BPH were non-rapid enhancement (70.59%), non-rapid clearance (73.53%), uniform enhancement (76.47%) and non-high enhancement (52.94%). There were significant differences in terms of enhancement speed, clearance speed and enhancement uniformity between prostate cancer and BPH (P<0.05), but no significant difference in the enhancement intensity. The sensitivity of transrectal CEUS in the diagnosis of prostate cancer in low, medium and high tPSA groups were 58.33%, 70.37% and 95.65%, the specificity were 83.33%, 76.92% and 66.67%, and the accuracy were 73.33%, 72.50% and 92.31%, respectively. Transrectal CEUS showed consistency at different serum tPSA levels for the diagnosis of prostate cancer, with statistical significance. Moreover, in the 4.0 ng/mL ≤tPSA<10.0 ng/mL group, the diagnostic specificity was the highest. 【Conclusion】 Transrectal CEUS is helpful in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant prostatic lesions, especially for patients with different serum tPSA levels.

Value for combination of T1WI star -VIBE with TWIST -VIBE dynamic contrast -enhanced MRI in distinguishing lung nodules / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#With the increasing detection rate of lung nodules, the qualitative problem of lung nodules has become one of the key clinical issues. This study aims to evaluate the value of combining dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) MRI based on time-resolved imaging with interleaved stochastic trajectories-volume interpolated breath hold examination (TWIST-VIBE) with T1 weighted free-breathing star-volumetric interpolated breath hold examination (T1WI star-VIBE) in identifying benign and malignant lung nodules.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed 79 adults with undetermined lung nodules before the operation. All nodules of patients included were classified into malignant nodules (n=58) and benign nodules (n=26) based on final diagnosis. The unenhanced T1WI-VIBE, the contrast-enhanced T1WI star-VIBE, and the DCE curve based on TWIST-VIBE were performed. The corresponding qualitative [wash-in time, wash-out time, time to peak (TTP), arrival time (AT), positive enhancement integral (PEI)] and quantitative parameters [volume transfer constant (Ktrans), interstitium-to-plasma rate constant (Kep), and fractional extracellular space volume (Ve)] were evaluated. Besides, the diagnostic efficacy (sensitivity and specificity) of enhanced CT and MRI were compared.@*RESULTS@#There were significant differences in unenhanced T1WI-VIBE hypo-intensity, and type of A, B, C DCE curve type between benign and malignant lung nodules (all P<0.001). Pulmonary malignant nodules had a shorter wash-out time than benign nodules (P=0.001), and the differences of the remaining parameters were not statistically significant (all P>0.05). After T1WI star-VIBE contrast-enhanced MRI, the image quality was further improved. Compared with enhanced CT scan, the sensitivity (82.76% vs 80.50%) and the specificity (69.23% vs 57.10%) based on MRI were higher than that of CT (both P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#T1WI star-VIBE and dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI based on TWIST-VIBE were helpful to improve the image resolution and provide more information for clinical differentiation between benign and malignant lung nodules.

Diagnostic value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma / 中华肝脏病杂志

Objective: To investigate the features of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE) in order to improve the preoperative diagnosis rate. Methods: CEUS images of 32 pathologically-proven cases of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma from January 2004 to August 2021 were collected. Lesions were analyzed to observe the features of enhancement mode, enhancement intensity, and distinct enhancement phases. Results: Among the 32 cases, one had a solitary lesion, 29 had multiple lesions, and two had diffuse-type lesions. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound revealed a total of 42 lesions in 32 cases. In terms of arterial phase enhancement, 18 lesions had overall enhancement, six lesions had uneven dendritic enhancement, 16 lesions had rim-like enhancement, and two lesions had just slight peripheral spot enhancement around the lesions. Among the three cases, there were multiple lesions that had overall enhancement and ring enhancement. In terms of the enhancement phase, 20 lesions showed "fast progression", 20 lesions showed "same progression", and two lesions showed "slow progression". During the late arterial or early portal venous phases with rapid washout, all lesions manifested as hypoechoic. With peaked enhanced intensity, 11 lesions had a lower enhancement intensity than the surrounding normal liver parenchyma; 11 lesions had the same enhancement degree as the surrounding normal liver parenchyma; and 20 lesions had a higher enhancement degree than the surrounding normal liver parenchyma. All 16 ring-enhancing lesions had marked hyperenhancement. In the typical enhancing lesions, four showed hyperenhancement, five showed low enhancement, and nine showed isoenhancement. In the dendrite-enhancing lesions, there were two isoenhancing and four hypoenhancing. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound delineated the boundaries of all lesions more clearly than two-dimensional ultrasound. Conclusion: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound has certain value in the diagnosis of hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma.

Value of contrast-enhanced percutaneous ultrasound in the diagnosis of rotator cuff tear subtype / 中国骨伤

OBJECTIVE@#To explore characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) images features and diagnostic value of rotator cuff tear subtypes.@*METHODS@#From January 2019 to March 2022, percutaneous ultrasound-guided subacromial bursography (PUSB) with persutaneous ultrasound-guide tendon lesionography (PUTL) was performed on 114 patients with suspected rotator cuff injury were evaluated, including 54 males and 60 females ranged in age from 35 to 75 years old with an average of (58.8±8.7 ) years old;76 patients on the right side and 38 patients on the left side;the course of disease ranged from 0.13 to 111 months with an average of (10.2±9.8) months. GE LOGIQ E9 color doppler ultrasound diagnostic high frequency(6 to 12 MHz) was used to CEUS Using arthroscopy as gold standard, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate diagnostic efficacy of US, MRI and CEUS for rotator cuff injury, also sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy were calculated.@*RESULTS@#The sensitivity of US in diagnosing full-thickness tears was 72.1%, specificity was 93.0%, and accuracy was 85.1%. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI diagnosis of full-thickness tear were 90.9%, 92.6% and 92.1% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CEUS in diagnosis of full-thickness tear were 100%. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of US in the diagnosis of partial tear were 85.7%, 77.2% and 79.8% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of MRI diagnosis of partial tear were 83.7%, 81.7% and 82.5% respectively. The sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of CEUS in diagnosis of partial tear were 95.7%, 92.6% and 93.9% respectively. There were significant differences in diagnosis results of US, MRI and CEUS for rotator cuff bursa tear (P<0.001). Kapp test showed good consistency between CEUS and arthroscopy in diagnosing rotator cuff tear subtypes (full-thickness and partial tears).@*CONCLUSION@#Using PUSB/PUTL to observe distribution of contrast media in bursa, tendon and joint cavity to evaluate the type of rotator cuff tear, its diagnostic performance is significantly better than US and MRI. Therefore, percutaneous contrast-enhanced ultrasound can be a reliable method for diagnosing subtypes of rotator cuff tears.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography with intra-glandular contrast injection can improve the diagnostic accuracy of central compartment lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer / 南方医科大学学报

OBJECTIVE@#To investigate the value of lymphatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (LCEUS) with intra-glandular injection of contrast agent for diagnosis of central compartment lymph node metastasis of thyroid cancer.@*METHODS@#From November, 2020 to May, 2022, the patients suspected of having thyroid cancer and scheduled for biopsy at our center received both conventional ultrasound and LCEUS examinations of the central compartment lymph nodes before surgery. All the patients underwent surgical dissection of the lymph nodes. The perfusion features in LCEUS were classified as homogeneous enhancement, heterogeneous enhancement, regular/irregular ring, and non-enhancement. With pathological results as the gold standard, we compared the diagnostic ability of conventional ultrasound and LCEUS for identifying metastasis in the central compartment lymph nodes.@*RESULTS@#Forty-nine patients with 60 lymph nodes were included in the final analysis. Pathological examination reported metastasis in 34 of the lymph nodes, and 26 were benign lymph nodes. With ultrasound findings of heterogeneous enhancement, irregular ring and non-enhancement as the criteria for malignant lesions, LCEUS had a diagnostic sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of 97.06%, 92.31% and 95% for diagnosing metastatic lymph nodes, respectively, demonstrating its better performance than conventional ultrasound (P < 0.001). Receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis showed that LCEUS had a significantly greater area under the curve than conventional ultrasound for diagnosing metastatic lymph nodes (94.7% [0.856-0.988] vs 78.2% [0.656-0.878], P=0.003).@*CONCLUSION@#LCEUS can enhance the display and improve the diagnostic accuracy of the central compartment lymph nodes to provide important clinical evidence for making clinical decisions on treatment of thyroid cancer.

Performance of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System LR-5 in the Diagnosis of Hepatocellular Carcinoma:A Meta-analysis / 中国医学科学院学报

Objective To evaluate the performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) LR-5 in the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Methods The clinical research reports with the application of CEUS LI-RADS in the diagnosis of HCC were collected from PubMed,Embase,Cochrane Library,CNKI,and Wanfang Data from inception to November 14,2021.Two researchers respectively screened the literature and extracted relevant information.The Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies (QUADAS) was used to evaluate the quality of all the included articles.RevMan 5.4,Meta disc 1.4,and Stata 16.0 were employed to analyze the diagnostic performance of LR-5 for HCC in high-risk patients. Results Twenty original studies were included,involving a total of 6131 lesions,of which 5142 were HCC.The results of meta-analysis showed that the LR-5 in CEUS LI-RADS for diagnosing HCC in the high-risk population had the overall sensitivity of 0.72 (95%CI=0.66-0.77),the overall specificity of 0.93 (95%CI=0.87-0.96),the overall positive likelihood ratio of 9.89 (95%CI=5.31-18.41),the overall negative likelihood ratio of 0.30 (95%CI=0.25-0.37),and the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.88 (95%CI=0.85-0.91).There was heterogeneity among the included studies (I2=95.31,P<0.001).The funnel plot indicated the existence of publication bias (P=0.04). Conclusion The CEUS LI-RADS can effectively diagnose HCC in high-risk patients based on the LR-5 criteria.

Value of Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in Sentinel Lymph Node after Primary Breast Cancer Resection / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of percutaneous and intravenous contrast-enhanced ultrasound（P-Ⅳ-CEUS） in sentinel lymph nodes（SLNs） after resection of early-stage primary breast cancer. MethodsA retrospective analysis was done on the clinical and imaging data of 42 early breast cancer patients. Following primary tumor resection， all these patients underwent reoperation in our hospital. SLNs were examined by preoperative P-Ⅳ-CEUS and intraoperative sentinel lymph node biopsy（SLNB） was performed by using Methylene blue as a tracer. Then we analyzed the detection and false-negative rate in CEUS and SLNB respectively. By using the surgical pathological results as the gold standard， the diagnostic efficacy of CEUS for SLNs was explored. ResultsThe detection rate and false negative rate of SLNs in percutaneous contrast-enhanced ultrasound （P-CEUS） were 92.9% （39/42） and 7.1% （3/42）， respectively. The detection rate in methylene blue staining was 100% （41/41） and one patient underwent neoadjuvant therapy due to biopsy-confirmed metastasis. The sensitivity， specificity， positive predictive value， negative predictive value and accuracy of P-Ⅳ-CEUS were 66.7% （2/3）， 100% （37/37）， 100% （2/2）， 97.3% （36/37） and 97.4% （38/39）， respectively. ConclusionsP-Ⅳ-CEUS after resection of early-stage primary breast cancer can accurately detect SLNs and characterize their status， which is a reliable clinical basis for reducing invasive SLNB.

Application progress on contrast-enhanced ultrasound in acute rejection after kidney transplantation / 器官移植

Early diagnosis of acute rejection is of significance for the protection of renal allograft function. Pathological puncture biopsy is the gold standard for the diagnosis of acute rejection of renal allografts. Nevertheless, it may provoke multiple complications, such as bleeding, infection and renal parenchymal injury, which limit its widespread application. In recent years, the sensitivity of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis of acute rejection has been constantly improved. Ultrasound-targeted microbubble technique has further enhanced the diagnostic specificity of contrast-enhanced ultrasound, making it possible to replace pathological puncture biopsy. Besides, in the field of acute rejection treatment, microbubble ultrasonic cavitation may promote local delivery of immunosuppressants by inducing sonoporation and exhibit anti-rejection effect. In this article, the application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnosis and treatment of acute rejection after kidney transplantation was reviewed, aiming to provide reference for widespread application of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in kidney transplantation.

Therapeutic Effect of Canagliflozin on Nephrotic Syndrome and Its Ultrasonic Evaluation / 中山大学学报(医学科学版)

ObjectiveTo investigate the therapeutic effect of antidiabetic drug canagliflozin （CGLZ） on adriamycin-induced nephrotic syndrome （NS） in rats， and the evaluation of contrast-enhanced ultrasound （CEUS） combined with color Doppler flow imaging （CDFI） during the treatment. MethodsA total of 56 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal group （NG）， model group （MG）， prednisone （PAT） group （PG）， low-dose single CGLZ group （LSCG）， high-dose single CGLZ group （HSCG）， low-dose CGLZ + PAT group （LUCG） and high-dose CGLZ + PAT group （HUCG）， with 8 rats in each group. The NS model in rats was induced by injecting adriamycin twice into the tail vein， and then the NS rats were treated by intragastric administration daily for 6 weeks with reference of PAT. Twenty-four hour urine total protein （24 h-UTP） was assessed one day before the start of oral administration and at the end of 2， 4 and 6 weeks after oral administration， respectively. CDFI and CEUS were performed on the right renal artery at the end of 6 weeks after oral administration， and the blood of abdominal aorta was taken for serological test the next day. ResultsCompared with those detection index of NG rats， the 24-hour UTP of MG rats increased （P＜0.01）， the serum ALB decreased and TG， TC， LDL increased （P＜0.01）， and CDFI shows that RRCT was thinner （P＜0.01） and the renal artery blood flow indicators RA-PI， RA-RI， RA-S/D all increased （P＜0.05）， and CEUS image shows that the TIC curve parameters TTP， AT， AUC all increased and DPI decrease in MG rats （P＜0.01）. After drug treatment， compared with those detection index of MG rats， 24 h-UTP decrease in LSCG after 2 weeks （P＜0.01）， and decrease significantly in all drug groups after 6 weeks （P＜0.01）； the serological test results show that the serum ALB in all CGLZ groups increased （P＜0.05）， TG decrease in LSCG （P＜0.01）， TC and LDL also decrease in LUCG after 6 weeks （P＜0.05）； CDFI shows that the RRCT thinning degree in all CGLZ is reduced （P＜0.01）， and the RA-PI in LSCG， RA-RI in PG， and RA-S/D in PG， LSCG， HSCG and LUCG rats all decreased （P＜0.05）； CEUS shows that the TTP， AT and AUC of renal TIC curve in drug treatment groups all decreased （P＜0.01）， and the DPI in PG， HSCG， LUCG and HUCG rats increased （P＜0.01）. ConclusionsCGLZ has the effect of treating NS， and the small dose is the best. CEUS combined with CDFI can be used to evaluate the renal morphology and hemodynamic changes of NS model rats before and after drug treatment， which is helpful to guide clinical application.

Association between acute adverse reactions to iodinated contrast media and anxiety in patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT examination / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#As the use of iodinated contrast media has become more widely with advances in imaging, several guidelines have suggested that anxiety increases the risk of acute adverse reactions associated with iodinated contrast media. This study aims to evaluate the impact of anxiety on the occurrence of acute adverse reactions (AAR) to iodinated contrast media in patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT examinations.@*METHODS@#Inpatients who underwent contrast-enhanced CT examinations at the Third Xiangya Hospital between February and October 2021 were prospectively recruited. Prior to the imaging examinations, all patients completed the Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale-7 (GAD-7) assessment before the imaging examinations to determine the severity of anxiety, which was categorized as mild, moderate, or severe. Based on the occurrence of AAR, patients were classified into an AAR group and a non-AAR group. The difference in anxiety was compared between the 2 groups. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent risk factors associated with AAR. To ensure comparability between the 2 groups, propensity score matching (PSM) was utilized to align the clinical characteristics. Subsequently, the difference in anxiety within the matched groups was analyzed.@*RESULTS@#The study comprised 880 patients, with 80 patients in the AAR group and 800 patients in the non-AAR group. There was a significant difference in proportion of patients with mild-severe anxiety between the 2 groups (75% in the AAR group and 36% in the non-AAR group, P<0.001). Additionally, differences were also observed in occupation, income, underlying diseases, and allergy history (all P<0.001). The results of multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that patients' income, allergy history, and anxiety were independent risk factors for AAR to iodinated contrast media (all P<0.05). Following PSM, each matched group included 66 cases, and no significant differences in clinical characteristics were observed between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). However, the proportion of patients with mild-severe anxiety remained significantly higher in the AAR group compared to the non-AAR group (75% in the AAR group and 31% in the non-AAR group, P<0.001).@*CONCLUSIONS@#Anxiety is associated with an increased risk of AAR to iodinated contrast media in patients undergoing contrast-enhanced CT examinations, suggesting the clinical importance of screening for anxiety before imaging examinations.

Application of dynamic contrast enhanced status in multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging for prostatic cancer with PI-RADS 4 lesion / 北京大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVE@#To evaluate the diagnostic value of dynamic contrast enhanced (DCE) of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for prostate imaging reporting and data system (PI-RADS) 4 lesion in prostate peripheral zone.@*METHODS@#The clinical data of patients with PI-RADS 4 lesion in prostate peripheral zone who underwent prostate biopsy from January 2018 to September 2021 in Peking University First Hospital were retrospectively included. According to DCE status, the patients were divided into the conventional group (4 points for diffusion-weighted imaging) and the comprehensive group (3 points for diffusion-weighted imaging + 1 point for DCE positive). Pearson's chi-square test or Fisher's exact test for comparison was conducted between prostate cancer and non-cancer patients. Univariate and multivariate Logistic regression were performed to analyze the correlation of positive biopsy with age, total prostate specific antigen (PSA), free PSA/total PSA (f/tPSA), prostate volume (PV), PSA density (PSAD) and DCE status.@*RESULTS@#Among the 267 prostate biopsy patients, 217 cases were diagnosed as prostatic cancer (81.27%) and 50 cases were non-cancer (18.73%). Statistical analysis between the prostatic cancer group and the non-cancer group showed that there were significant differences in age, tPSA, PV and PSAD (all P < 0.05), but no significant differences in f/tPSA between the two groups. About different PI-RADS 4 lesion groups, the conventional group and the comprehensive group showed significant difference in biopsy results (P=0.001), and the conventional group had a higher positive rate. The PV of comprehensive group was larger than that of the conventional group. Among the prostate cancer patients diagnosed by biopsy, statistical analysis between the conventional group and comprehensive group showed that there were not significant differences in International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) grade and distinguishing clinically significant prostate cancer (all P > 0.05). Logistic univariate analysis showed that the diagnosis of prostate cancer was related to age, tPSA, f/tPSA, PV and DCE group status (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that age, tPSA, PV and DCE group status (all P < 0.05) were independent risk factors for the diagnosis of prostatic cancer.@*CONCLUSION@#tPSA, f/tPSA, PV and PSAD are the indicators to improve the diagnosis of prostatic cancer with PI-RADS 4 lesion in peripheral zone lesions. DCE status is worth considering, so that we can select patients for biopsy more accurately, reduce the rate of missed diagnosis of prostate cancer as well as avoid unnecessary prostate puncture.

Intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound guided surgery for isoechoic completely endogenous renal tumor: a case report / 中华泌尿外科杂志

Intraoperative ultrasound assisted localization is routinely used in the surgical treatment of completely endogenous renal cell tumor, however the localization and guidance ability of conventional ultrasound will decline to a certain extent for isoechoic renal tumor. A 62 years old female patient with right renal tumor was reported. The tumor diameter was about 2.3 cm× 1.7 cm, equivalent to the isoechoic of kidney. Laparoscopic partial nephrectomy was performed under the real-time guidance of contrast-enhanced ultrasound. The tumor was found to be lack of blood supply during the operation, and the tumor contour was clearly developed by contrast agent.The operation was successfully completed, and the pathological diagnosis was polycystic renal tumor with low malignant potential.The incisional margin was negative.The patient recovered well after operation without complications.No recurrence or metastasis was found after 6 months of follow-up.The renal function was good.

Quality analysis of non-contrast-enhanced CT images synthesized from contrast-enhanced CT images by deep learning model / 中华放射医学与防护杂志

Objective:To synthesize non-contrast-enhanced CT images from enhanced CT images using deep learning method based on convolutional neural network, and to evaluate the similarity between synthesized non-contrast-enhanced CT images by deep learning(DL-SNCT) and plain CT images considered as gold standard subjectively and objectively, as well as to explore their potential clinical value.Methods:Thirty-four patients who underwent conventional plain scan and enhanced CT scan at the same time were enrolled. Using deep learning model, DL-SNCT images were generated from the enhanced CT images for each patient. With plain CT images as gold standard, the image quality of DL-SNCT images was evaluated subjectively. The evaluation indices included anatomical structure clarity, artifacts, noise level, image structure integrity and image deformation using a 4-point system). Paired t-test was used to compare the difference in CT values of different anatomical parts with different hemodynamics (aorta, kidney, liver parenchyma, gluteus maximus) and different liver diseases with distinct enhancement patterns (liver cancer, liver hemangioma, liver metastasis and liver cyst) between DL-SNCT images and plain CT images. Results:In subjective evaluation, the average scores of DL-SNCT images in artifact, noise, image structure integrity and image distortion were all 4 points, which were consistent with those of plain CT images ( P>0.05). However, the average score of anatomical clarity was slightly lower than that of plain CT images (3.59±0.70 vs. 4) with significant difference ( Z = -2.89, P<0.05). For different anatomical parts, the CT values of aorta and kidney in DL-SNCT images were significantly higher than those in plain CT images ( t=-12.89, -9.58, P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the CT values of liver parenchyma and gluteus maximus between DL-SNCT images and plain CT images ( P>0.05). For liver lesions with different enhancement patterns, the CT values of liver cancer, liver hemangioma and liver metastasis in DL-SNCT images were significantly higher than those in plain CT images( t=-10.84, -3.42, -3.98, P<0.05). There was no statistical difference in the CT values of liver cysts between DL-SNCT iamges and plain CT images ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The DL-SNCT image quality as well as the CT values of some anatomical structures with simple enhancement patterns is comparable to those of plain CT images considered as gold-standard. For those anatomical structures with variable enhancement and those liver lesions with complex enhancement patterns, there is still vast space for DL-SNCT images to be improved before it can be readily used in clinical practice.

Value of multiparametric ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant testicular lesions / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To explore the value of multiparametric ultrasonography consisting of gray-scale ultrasound(US), color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI), real-time strain elastography(RTE), and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of testicular lesions.Methods:Forty patients (40 lesions) detected by ultrasonography examination at the Ultrasound Medical Center of Lanzhou University Second Hospital from June 2020 to June 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, and further the CDFI, CEUS and RTE were performed. The presence of vascularization in the lesion was determined by CDFI and CEUS, avascular lesions were defined as benign, vascularization lesions were defined as malignant. The lesion tissue elasticity was assessed by real-time strain elastography, tissue stiffness was encoded as red(soft), green(intermediate), and blue(hard), and the hard lesions were defined as malignant, soft lesions were defined as benign. All lesions were subjected to pathological histologic examination after surgical resection or puncture biopsy as a reference standard. The correct classification rate, sensitivity, specificity and likelihood ratio of the multiparametric ultrasonography imaging for the diagnosis of benign and malignant testicular lesions were analyzed by ROC.Results:Of 40 testicular lesions, 24 (60.0%) were benign and 16 (40.0%) were malignant. The sensitivity of CDFI, CEUS and RTE in the diagnosis of testicular lesions was 0.875, 1.000 and 1.000, and the specificity was 0.833, 0.750 and 0.708, respectively. The correct classification rate was 85.0%, 85.0% and 82.5%, and the positive likelihood ratio was 5.24, 4.00 and 4.42, respectively. AUC was 0.781, 0.802, 0.771, respectively. By combining RTE and CDFI, a sensitivity of 1.000 and specificity of 0.875 and correct classification rate of 92.8% and positive likelihood ratio of 8.00 and AUC of 0.915 ( P<0.001) were achieved in differentiating testicular lesions. And combining RTE and CEUS, achieved sensitivity of 1.000 and specificity of 0.917 and correct classification rate of 95.0% and positive likelihood ratio of 12.0 and AUC of 0.958( P<0.001). Conclusions:Multiparametric US is of great value in the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant testicular lesions.

Qualitative characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and VueBox quantitative perfusion analysis of the molecular classification of breast cancer / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the value of qualitative characteristics of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and VueBox quantitative parameters in the evaluation of pathological molecular typing of breast cancer.Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on 133 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer who underwent CEUS examination in the People′s Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region from January 2020 to July 2022. The patients were divided into Luminal A type, Luminal B type, human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER-2) type and triple negative type according to the results of immunohistochemistry. The differences of qualitative characteristics and quantitative parameters of CEUS in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer were analyzed. The ROC curve was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of CEUS in the differentiation of molecular subtypes of breast cancer.Results:There were significant differences in enhancement intensity, post-enhancement boundary, filling defect and peripheral radial convergence among different molecular subtypes of breast cancer(all P<0.05), while there was no significant difference in enhancement uniformity ( P>0.05). Peak enhancement (PE), wash-in and wash-out areas under the curve (WiWoAUC), and wash-in ratio (WiR) of HER-2 type and triple-negative type breast cancer were higher than Luminal A type and Luminal B type (all P<0.05). ROC curve analysis showed that PE and radial convergence had reasonable diagnostic efficiency in Luminal A type, and the areas under the curve were 0.849 and 0.780, sensitivity was 0.711 and 0.889, specificity was 0.909 and 0.671, accuracy was 0.842 and 0.744, respectively. The areas under the curve of PE in diagnosing Luminal B type was 0.852, the sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy were 0.825, 0.763 and 0.782, respectively. The area under the curve of WiWoAUC and filling defect in diagnosing HER-2 type were 0.912 and 0.898, the sensitivity was 0.903 and 0.903, the specificity was 0.853 and 0.892, and the accuracy was 0.865 and 0.895, respectively. The area under the curve of clear boundary after enhancement in diagnosing triple negative type was 0.919, and the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy were 0.941, 0.897 and 0.902, respectively. Conclusions:There are differences in the qualitative characteristics and quantitative parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in different molecular types of breast cancer. CEUS is suggested as a noninvasive modality for preoperative prediction of molecular subtypes of breast cancer.

Application value of S-Detect combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System 4 breast lesions / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To assess the value of S-Detect and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the differential diagnosis of Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System(BI-RADS) 4 breast lesions.Methods:A total of 104 breast lesions in 100 patients diagnosed as BI-RADS category 4 by conventional ultrasound were prospectively enrolled, and all of them were received S-Detect and CEUS examination at the same time. Taking pathology as the gold standard, ROC curve was constructed to compare the diagnostic efficacy of conventional ultrasound, S-Detect, CEUS and their combination.Results:Among the 104 BI-RADS category 4 breast lesions, 63 were benign and 41 were malignant. The sensitivities of conventional ultrasound, S-Detect, CEUS and S-Detect combined with CEUS were 73.17%, 87.80%, 87.80%, 90.24%; the specificities were 57.14%, 60.32%, 68.25%, 77.78%; the positive predictive values were 52.63%, 59.02%, 64.29% and 72.55%; the negative predictive values were 76.60%, 88.37%, 89.59% and 92.45%; the accuracies were 63.46%, 71.15%, 75.96% and 82.69%; and the areas under the ROC curve (AUC) were 0.652, 0.741, 0.780 and 0.840. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of S-Detect and CEUS diagnosis were improved compared with conventional ultrasound. The AUC of combined diagnosis was higher than that of S-Detect, CEUS alone, and the differences were statistically significant(all P<0.05). The AUC of CEUS was higher than that of conventional ultrasound, and the difference was statistically significant ( P<0.05). There were no significant differences in AUC between any two of other groups (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The combined application of S-Detect and CEUS could achieve complementary advantages, which is of great significance for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant in BI-RADS 4 breast lesions.

Correlation analysis of contrast-enhanced ultrasound Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System classification with hepatocellular carcinoma differentiation and Ki-67 index / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To investigate the correlation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) classified by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Data and Report System (LI-RADS) with differentiation degree and Ki-67 index.Methods:A multicenter, retrospective study was conducted.The clinical and CEUS imaging data of 208 patients with 208 HCC lesions from December 2017 to December 2020 in China CEUS database were included and analyzed. According to the CEUS LI-RADS version 2017 proposed by the American College of Radiology, the HCC was classified. The diagnosis and pathological information of all lesions were confirmed by pathology. The differentiation degree of HCC and the distribution of Ki-67 index in different LI-RADS categories were evaluated, and their correlation was analyzed.Results:The degree of differentiation and Ki-67 index among HCC of different CEUS LI-RADS were statistically significant ( P<0.001, P=0.009). LI-RADS M HCC was more likely to be poorly differentiated and showed a higher Ki-67 index. The category of LI-RADS was positively correlated with the degree of tumor differentiation (tau-b=-0.250, P<0.001) and the Ki-67 index (tau-b=0.178, P=0.002), that is, the higher the category of LI-RADS, the lower differentiation degree and the higher the Ki-67. Conclusions:The CEUS LI-RADS classification of HCC is correlating with the degree of differentiation and Ki-67 index.

Preoperative prediction of Ki-67 level in hepatocellular carcinoma based on radiomics signatures during Kupffer phase of Sonazoid contrast enhanced ultrasound / 中华超声影像学杂志

Objective:To evaluate the value of Sonazoid contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in preoperative prediction of proliferating cell nuclear antigen 67 (Ki-67) level of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by establishing predictive model based on radiomics features of Kupffer phase.Methods:From October 2020 to August 2021, patients with histologically confirmed HCC lesion and who underwent Sonazoid CEUS examination 1 week before surgery were prospectively enrolled. The radiomics signatures were extracted from the whole tumor region on gray scale images and Kupffer phase images. Two predictive radiomics models were constructed using radiomic method. The predictive performance of 2 models was compared.Results:A total of 50 patients with histologically confirmed single HCC lesions were prospectively enrolled in this study. Among them, histological results revealed 24 HCC lesions with high level representation of Ki-67 (>20%) and 26 HCC lesions with low level representation of Ki-67 (≤20%). Two radiomics predictive models were established based on gray scale images and Kupffer phase images respectively. While compared with model based on B-mode ultrasound images, model based on Kupffer phase images showed significantly higher area under receiver operating characteristic curve (0.753 vs 0.535, P=0.017), accuracy (0.720 vs 0.580, P=0.023) and sensitivity (0.458 vs 0.250, P=0.043). Calibration plot indicated that Kupffer phase model showed better consistency with the actual Ki-67 level than gray scale model. Conclusions:The radiomics model based on Kupffer phase features of Sonazoid CEUS is a preoperative and noninvasive prediction the presentation level of Ki-67 in HCC lesions.