[Ultrasonic assessment of the capsular-ligamentous structures of the ankle. Normal features]. / Valutazione ectomografica delle strutture capsulo-legamentose della caviglia. Aspetti normali.

The study of normal ankles by means of US has enabled the authors to define the articular system so as to obtain a useful reference for the study of pathological ankles. A real-time (Ansaldo AU 530) unit with a 10 MHz sectorial probe was employed together with a Toshiba unit with a 7.5 MHz sectorial probe. In 6 cases, the stretching of the capsuloligamentous system before arthroscopy was examined. The authors' attention focused on 3 major functional anatomic areas: the talofibular ligament area, the calcaneofibular ligament area, and the deltoid ligament area. The comparison of US scans before and after stretching the capsula with a physiological solution allowed the most interesting structures to be recognized and quantified from a US-anatomical point of view. Useful parameters were both the length of the lateral aspect of the ligament (mean difference in length between rest and exercise conditions: 15 mm for the anterior talofibular ligament and 14 mm for calcaneofibular ligament) and the thickness of intra-articular echoes (mean value: 5 mm).

[Sclerosing adenosis and infiltrating epitheliosis of the breast. Radiohistopathologic correlations and differential diagnosis of carcinoma]. / Adenosi sclerosante ed epiteliosi infiltrante della mammella. Correlazioni radioistopatologiche e diagnosi differenziale col carcinoma.

Sclerosing adenosis and infiltrating epitheliosis are both benign diseases which are clinically, radiologically and macroscopically impossible to distinguish from cancer. Over a four years' period, 27 lesions of this kind, which are usually considered as rare, were found in 27 patients. The average age of the patients was 36 years, which confirmed the lesions as diseases typical of fertile women. In all cases, both clinical and instrumental findings (mammography and echotomography) indicated a kind of malignant cancer. The final diagnosis was always made on surgical/bioptic (fine-needle biopsy) specimens. This paper is aimed at stressing the lack of mammographic findings useful for the differential diagnosis of sclerosing adenosis-infiltrating epitheliosis and breast cancer. The utility of fine-needle aspiration biopsy is also stressed.

[Ultrasonic diagnosis of the central hyperechogenic area in lymph nodes. A sign of benign lymphadenopathy]. / Identificazione ecotomografica di area iperecogena centrale nei linfonodi. Segno di linfoadenopatia benigna.

When identifying superficial lymphadenopathies by means of echotomography, the only accepted criterium of evaluation is still dimension. Only lymph nodes with a diameter longer than 0.5 cm are considered as potentially pathological, irrespective of their morphological characteristics. In the past two years an echotomographic study of the surface regions was carried out on 300 patients. Some suffered from unspecific solitary lymphadenopathies; most of the others were affected by stationary neoplasias, mainly situated in the cervical region. In many cases it has been possible to correlate the echotomographic and the histological results. Sixty-nine out of the 300 examined patients had lymph nodes with a central hyperechogenic area. Histology showed these lymph nodes to be the site of reactive hyperplasia. This characteristic has never been found in neoplastic lymph nodes. It has been hypothesized that this spot corresponds to the hilus of the lymph node and that, through its identification, it may be possible to distinguish benign from neoplastic lymph nodes.

[Ultrasonics of the shoulder. Diagnostic possibilities in lesions of the rotator cuff]. / L'ecotomografia della spalla. Possibilità di diagnosi nelle lesioni della cuffia dei rotatori.

Twenty five healthy people and 25 patients with shoulder pain underwent US control over a 12-month period: 24 patients with shoulder pain had rotator cuff and/or biceps tendon lesions. The US findings on rotator cuff and biceps tendon lesions are compared with those of arthrography and/or surgery (96% sensitivity). US is rapid, safe, non invasive, inexpensive and often more accurate, and its use is recommended for the routine examination of the shoulder joint instead of arthrography.

[Suprapubic ultrasonic diagnosis of the prostate]. / Ecotomografia della prostata per via soprapubica.

100 patients, 60 affected by prostatic pathology and 40 normal, underwent ultrasonography using a transabdominal suprapubic approach, with a diagnostic accuracy of 88% and no instances of false negatives. The advantages of transabdominal approach are discussed and the various sonographic appearances are explained and correlated to histological findings.

[Preoperative localization of non-palpable breast lesions]. / Localizzazione preoperatoria delle lesioni mammarie non palpabili.

The effectiveness of real-time sonography and mammography are examined in localizing with a hookwire (introduced via a straight needle) the nonpalpable breast lesions. The method, used for surgery or biopsy, was successful in a series of 13 patients with non-palpable breast lesions, 4 affected by carcinoma.

["Umbilicate" aspect of some lateral cervical adenomegalies. A possible sign of benign characterization?]. / Aspetto "ombelicato" di talune adenomegalie laterocervicali. Possibile segno di benignità?

Fifty-one patients were examined by sonography for suspicious cervical adenopathies. In 11 the adenopathies, histologically benign, showed typical "umbilicate" aspect. We present this aspect as a possible benign sign and we advance a pathological interpretation.

[Preoperative ultrasonic diagnosis of metastasis to the cervical lymph nodes from otorhinolaryngeal neoplasms]. / Valutazione ecotomografica preoperatoria delle metastasi ai linfonodi cervicali da neoplasie di pertinenza otorinolaringoiatrica.

The results of a study on 30 patients with ear, nose and throat cancers are discussed; a comparison of clinical, ultrasound and histological findings for the preoperatory evaluation of the cervical lymph nodes has been carried out. Ultrasound technique is an excellent method of investigation for the staging "N" of such neoplasms; its contribution is very important for the following therapeutic program.