ABSTRACT
This article is the result of a comparative study during 1994 and 95 concerning escar prevalence in our Nephrology intensive care unit. Combined paramedical and medical activities concerning preventive and curative care, structured assessment (...), made it possible to decrease escar' prevalence from 19% (1994) to 12% (1995).
Subject(s)
Pressure Ulcer/prevention & control , Bedding and Linens , Diabetes Complications , Humans , Posture , Pressure Ulcer/etiology , Risk FactorsABSTRACT
In the preceding article, the measurement of an index of echogenicity has been described. In this article, we present the mean value and standard deviation of this index in normal thyroid and pathological cases. It appears that the index is very significantly lowered in Hashimoto's disease compared to its value in normal thyroids and simple goiters. The advantage of this index in other cases such as Graves' disease, subacute thyroiditis, and thyroid nodules is discussed.
Subject(s)
Thyroid Diseases/diagnosis , Ultrasonography , Goiter/diagnosis , Graves Disease/diagnosis , Humans , Reference Values , Thyroiditis/diagnosis , Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/diagnosisABSTRACT
The technique reported here uses a simple electronic system adaptable to a standard manual echograph with the aim of obtaining a numerical index of echogenicity. The index is the ratio of the average echo amplitude within a gated portion of tissue at a given depth to the average echo amplitude within the same gated portion measured under the same conditions on a phantom filled with a "tissue-mimicking" material. A theoretical analysis shows that the index depends not only on the attenuation coefficient and the backscattering coefficient of the tissue but also on the depth of the measurement. It is demonstrated that it is feasible to measure the attenuation coefficient using the current system, and the reproducibility of the index measurement is evaluated on a normal thyroid.
Subject(s)
Ultrasonics/instrumentation , Dextrans , Electronics , Humans , Reference Standards , Thyroid Diseases/pathology , Thyroid Gland/anatomy & histology , UltrasonographyABSTRACT
All the patients committed in our laboratory for thyroid investigation underwent systematically a cervical echotomography. In a number of cases we stated a diffused microechoic character of the thyroid parenchyma. This character is present in most cases of Graves' disease, in a few cases of subacute thyroiditis spread to the whole gland and in chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis (LCT). 48 cases are reported here in which the microechoic character was evident and for which the diagnosis of Graves' disease or subacute thyroiditis were easily eliminated by biological and clinical arguments. In 31 cases, the diagnosis of LCT was clinically and biologically proved specially by significant levels of antithyroid antibodies. In the 17 other cases, the diagnosis of LCT was the most probably in spite of non sufficiently autoimmune proof. The diffused microechoic character of the thyroid parenchyma, even though it is non specific, appears thus a valuable sign in the diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic thyroiditis.
Subject(s)
Autoimmune Diseases/diagnosis , Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/diagnosis , Ultrasonography , Autoantibodies/analysis , Female , Humans , Male , Microsomes/immunology , Middle Aged , Radionuclide Imaging , Thyroglobulin/immunology , Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
The usefulness of grey scale ultrasonography in association with radionuclide imaging in the evaluation of thyroid nodules is discussed. Nodules were classified in five categories, according to the magnitude of the internal echoes (echogenicity). The assessment of neoplasms in each of these categories is reported in 143 cases in which radionuclide imaging disclosed nonfunctioning or cold nodules. In this study, echography is used principally to clarify the nature of nonfunctioning or cold nodules found on radionuclide imaging.
Subject(s)
Goiter, Nodular/diagnostic imaging , Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Ultrasonography , Adenoma/diagnosis , Diagnosis, Differential , Goiter, Nodular/diagnosis , Goiter, Nodular/pathology , Humans , Radionuclide Imaging , Technetium , Thyroid Neoplasms/diagnosis , Thyroid Neoplasms/pathology , Thyroiditis/diagnosis , Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/diagnosisABSTRACT
The most recent development in echotomography, the grey scale introduces the notion of the echogenic power of a tissue. The authors present a number of typical cases of thyroid pathology with scintigraphy and echography.
