EFSUMB Gastrointestinal Ultrasound (GIUS) Task Force Group: Celiac sprue and other rare gastrointestinal diseases ultrasound features.

Transabdominal gastrointestinal ultrasound (GIUS) is unique in its capacity to examine the bowel non-invasively and in its physiological condition, including extra-intestinal features such as the splanchnic vessels, mesentery, omentum and lymph nodes- even at the bedside. Despite this, and its extensive documentation for its usefulness, it has only been fully implemented in a few European countries and expert centres. Therefore, the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) established a GIUS Task Force Group in 2014 consisting of international experts from 9 European countries with the objectives to standardize and promote the use of GIUS in a clinical setting. This is achieved by publishing clinical guidelines and recommendations on indications and use of GIUS and so far,4 guidelines have been published: first on "examination techniques and normal findings", second on "inflammatory bowel disease", third on "acute appendicitis and diverticulitis" and fourth on "transrectal and perineal ultrasound".This paper describes the ultrasound features of miscellaneous disorders such as celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, omental infarction, Meckel's diverticle, endometriosis, intestinal neoplasia, mucocele, amyloidosis, GVHD, foreign bodies, vasculitis, and pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis. Bowel ultrasound can be indicated in most of these conditions to investigate intestinal symptoms but in other cases the alterations of the bowel can be also an incidental finding that suggest other examinations which finally help to discover an unknown pathological condition.

EFSUMB Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Ultrasound Part 3: Endorectal, Endoanal and Perineal Ultrasound.

This article represents part 3 of the EFSUMB Recommendations and Guidelines for Gastrointestinal Ultrasound (GIUS). It provides an overview of the examination techniques recommended by experts in the field of endorectal/endoanal ultrasound (ERUS/EAUS), as well as perineal ultrasound (PNUS). The most important indications are rectal tumors and inflammatory diseases like fistula and abscesses in patients with or without inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PNUS sometimes is more flexible and convenient compared to ERUS. However, the technique of ERUS is quite well established, especially for the staging of rectal cancer. EAUS also gained ground in the evaluation of perianal diseases like fistulas, abscesses and incontinence. For the staging of perirectal tumors, the use of PNUS in addition to conventional ERUS could be recommended. For the staging of anal carcinomas, PNUS can be a good option because of the higher resolution. Both ERUS and PNUS are considered excellent guidance methods for invasive interventions, such as the drainage of fluids or targeted biopsy of tissue lesions. For abscess detection and evaluation, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) also helps in therapy planning.

Increased vein wall thickness in Behçet disease.

OBJECTIVE: Lower extremity (LE) deep venous thrombosis (DVT) is the main feature of vascular involvement in Behçet disease (BD). We thought that vein wall thickness (VWT) could be a surrogate marker for venous inflammation and hence predict future vascular involvement. We assessed VWT in proximal LE veins in BD patients without DVT, BD patients with DVT, and healthy controls in a formal, masked protocol. METHODS: We studied 50 (43 male and 7 female) BD patients with LE DVT (group 1), 50 (43 male and 7 female) BD patients without any vascular involvement (group 2), and 50 (43 male and 7 female) age- and sex-matched apparently healthy controls (group 3). Two radiologists blinded to the diagnosis of BD used ultrasound to measure VWT of common femoral vein, femoral vein, and great saphenous vein in both legs. Interobserver reliability was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient and Bland-Altman plots. RESULTS: There was good agreement between the two observers. The mean VWT was significantly increased in both BD patients with LE DVT and those without apparent vascular involvement compared with the healthy controls, whereas those with LE DVT had the highest VWT. CONCLUSIONS: VWT of proximal deep and superficial LE veins is increased among the BD patients without any clinical and radiologic vascular involvement. This information, after prospective work, might be useful in management and elucidating disease mechanisms in vascular BD.

Shear Wave Elastography of the Lumbar Multifidus Muscle in Patients With Unilateral Lumbar Disk Herniation.

OBJECTIVES: To assess lumbar multifidus muscle stiffness in patients with unilateral lumbar disk herniation (LDH) causing nerve root compression using shear wave elastography (SWE). METHODS: Thirty-three patients with unilateral subarticular LDH (L3-L4, L4-L5, and L5-S1) causing nerve root compression, diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging, were enrolled in the study. Exclusion criteria were bilateral or multilevel LDH confirmed on magnetic resonance imaging, bilateral leg symptoms, and patients with a history of any spinal operation, malignancy, trauma, infection, spondylolisthesis, severe lateral recess stenosis, spinal canal stenosis, and substantial comorbidities. Two observers separately evaluated the multifidus muscle using SWE. Shear wave elastographic examinations of the muscle were performed slightly below the herniation using the spinous process of the vertebra as a landmark. The stiffness of the muscle between affected and normal sides was compared. Moreover, the correlation between the stiffness and duration of the symptoms and the correlation between the stiffness and severity of the nerve compression were also calculated. RESULTS: The mean stiffness values of the multifidus muscle on the affected side (mean ± SD: observer 1, 14.08 ± 3.57 kPa; observer 2, 13.70 ± 4.05 kPa) were significantly lower compared to the contralateral side (observer 1, 18.81 ± 3.95 kPa; observer 2, 18.28 ± 4.12 kPa; P < .001). The muscle stiffness had a moderate negative correlation with the duration of the symptoms and the severity of the nerve compression (observer 1, r = -0.535; observer 2, r = -0.458; P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The multifidus muscle on the ipsilateral side of the LDH showed reduced stiffness values, and stiffness values were negatively correlated with the disease duration and severity of the nerve compression. Further studies might reveal the potential role of SWE of the multifidus muscle in determining clinical outcomes and assessing effectiveness treatment in patients with LDH.

Bladder cancer in an inguinal vesical hernia.

A 60-year-old male patient presented with intermittent right-sided scrotal swelling for the last 4 months. On ultrasonography, a fluid-filled cavity extending through the right inguinal canal into the scrotum was noted with inferior displacement of the right testis. Multiple papillary hyperechoic lesions with internal vascularity on Doppler ultrasound were protruding into the fluid-filled cavity. Computed tomography showed herniation of the bladder through the right inguinal canal into the scrotum with mural components in the herniated segment. Hernioplasty followed by transurethral tumor resection showed urothelial carcinoma with invasion into the muscular layer. Vesical herniation through the inguinal canal is uncommon. Additionally, the presence of bladder carcinoma within a herniated portion of the bladder is exceedingly rare.

Portal vein ligation and in situ liver splitting in metastatic liver cancer.

The most serious complication after major liver resection is liver failure. Depending on preoperative liver function, a future liver remnant of 25%-40% is considered sufficient to avoid postoperative liver failure. A new technique known as portal vein ligation combined with in situ splitting has been developed to obtain rapid liver hypertrophy. Herein, we present a case where we performed portal vein ligation combined with in situ splitting. A 37-year-old male patient with a diagnosis of sigmoid adenocarcinoma and liver metastasis underwent anterior resection because of an obstructing sigmoid tumor and received palliative chemotherapy. After chemotherapy, abdominal computed tomography revealed a lesion, 50 mm in diameter, localized between segments 5-8 of the liver on the bifurcation of the anteroposterior segmental branch of the right portal vein. Computed tomography volumetric assessments of the liver were performed in the preoperative period, and it was found that the remnant left liver volume was less than 25%. In the first stage, portal vein ligation and in situ splitting of the liver parenchyma were performed. On the second and sixth postoperative days, computed tomography revealed hypertrophy of the left liver lobe. On the sixth day, a right hepatectomy was performed. Portal vein ligation combined with in situ splitting has been used by surgeons worldwide to obtain rapid and adequate liver hypertrophy. This new approach yields hope for patients with locally advanced liver tumors and may increase the number of curative resections for primary or metastatic liver tumors.

Evaluation of the Tibial Nerve with Shear-Wave Elastography: A Potential Sonographic Method for the Diagnosis of Diabetic Peripheral Neuropathy.

Purpose To evaluate the value of shear-wave elastography (SWE) in the detection of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) of the tibial nerve. Materials and Methods This study was approved by the institutional review board, and written informed consent was obtained from all study participants. The study included 20 diabetic patients with DPN (10 men, 10 women), 20 diabetic patients without DPN (eight men, 12 women), and 20 healthy control subjects (nine men, 11 women). The tibial nerve was examined at 4 cm proximal to the medial malleolus with gray-scale ultrasonography and SWE. The nerve cross-sectional area (in square centimeters) and the mean nerve stiffness (in kilopascals) within the range of the image were recorded. Inter- and intrareader variability, differences among groups, and correlation of clinical and electrophysiologic evaluation were assessed with intraclass correlation coefficients, the Mann Whitney U test, and the Wilcoxon signed rank test. Results Between diabetic patients with and diabetic patients without DPN, mean age (60 years [range, 38-79 years] vs 61 years [range, 46-75 years], respectively), mean duration of diabetes (10 years [range, 1-25 years] vs 10 years [range, 2-26 years]), and mean body mass index (31.4 kg/m2 [range, 24.7-48.1 kg/m2] vs 29.8 kg/m2 [range, 22.9-44.0 kg/m2]) were not significantly different. Diabetic patients without DPN had significantly higher stiffness values on the right side compared with control subjects (P < .001). Patients with DPN had much higher stiffness values on both sides compared with both diabetic patients without DPN (P < .001) and healthy control subjects (P < .001). A cutoff value of 51.0 kPa at 4 cm proximal to the medial malleolus revealed a sensitivity of 90% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 75.4%, 96.7%) and a specificity of 85.0% (95% CI: 74.9%, 91.7%). Conclusion Tibial nerve stiffness measurements appear to be highly specific in the diagnosis of established DPN. The increased stiffness in subjects without DPN might indicate that the nerve is affected by diabetes. © RSNA, 2016 Online supplemental material is available for this article.

Is There Any Difference Between Seminomas and Nonseminomatous Germ Cell Tumors on Shear Wave Elastography? A Preliminary Study.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of shear wave elastography (SWE) to differentiate seminomas from nonseminomatous germ cell tumors. METHODS: Approval for this retrospective study was obtained from the local Ethics Committee of Istanbul University Cerrahpasa Medical School. Fifteen patients with malignant testicular lesions were examined by grayscale sonography, color or power Doppler sonography, and SWE between February 2011 and October 2015. The size of each lesion, Doppler signal parameters, echogenicity, presence of microlithiasis, unifocality or multifocality, and histopathologic findings were the main factors evaluated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 33 years (range, 25-55 years). There were no differences between seminomas and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors in terms of Doppler signals, echogenicity, microlithiasis, or focality. Only the homogeneous and heterogeneous echogenicity patterns differed significantly. However, a significant difference was evident in SWE-derived quantitative data. CONCLUSIONS: Seminomas and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors do not differ significantly on grayscale or Doppler sonography, except in terms of homogeneity. However, SWE seems to differentiate seminomas from nonseminomatous germ cell tumors.

In Vivo Evaluation of the Biomechanical Properties of Optic Nerve and Peripapillary Structures by Ultrasonic Shear Wave Elastography in Glaucoma.

BACKGROUND: Primary open-angle glaucoma is a multifactorial serious disease characterized by progressive retinal ganglion cell death and loss of visual field. OBJECTIVES: The purposes of this study were to investigate shear wave elastography (SWE) use in the evaluation of the optic nerve (ON) and peripapillary structures, and to compare the findings between glaucomatous and control eyes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A case-controlled study, including 21 patients with primary open-angle glaucoma and 21 age-matched control subjects, was carried out. All of the participants had comprehensive ophthalmological exams that included corneal biomechanical measurements with ocular response analyzer. In vivo evaluation of the biomechanical properties of the ON and peripapillary structures were performed with SWE in all participants. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to analyze the normal distribution of data. Differences of parameters in ophthalmologic data and stiffness values of patients with and without glaucoma were evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: There were no statistically significant differences between the glaucoma and control groups in terms of age (P > 0.05) and gender (P > 0.05). Corneal hysteresis was lower in the glaucoma group (P < 0.05). Corneal compensated intraocular pressure and Goldmann correlated intraocular pressure were higher in the glaucoma group (P < 0.0001 for both). The mean stiffness of the ON and peripapillary structures were significantly higher in glaucoma patients for each measured region (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: The study evaluated the biomechanical properties of the ON and peripapillary structures in vivo with SWE in glaucoma. We observed stiffer ON and peripapillary tissue in glaucomatous eyes, indicating that SWE claims new perspectives in the evaluation of ON and peripapillary structures in glaucoma disease.

Corkscrew Collateral Vessels in Buerger Disease: Vasa Vasorum or Vasa Nervorum.

PURPOSE: To investigate the origin of "corkscrew" collateral vessels around the occluded popliteal artery in patients with Buerger disease by Doppler ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in tandem with digital subtraction angiography (DSA). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between January 2013 and June 2015, 42 patients diagnosed with Buerger disease were identified retrospectively. Patients in whom occlusion of the popliteal artery was found on DSA of the lower extremity were subjected to Doppler US and MR imaging prospectively. Fifteen of 42 patients were identified as having the required characteristics, of whom 10 participated in the present study. RESULTS: Ten patients with occlusion of the popliteal artery were selected for inclusion, and 12 lower limbs of these patients were investigated. The study cohort comprised one woman and nine men with a mean age of 41 years ± 10 (standard deviation; range, 39-58 y). Corkscrew collateral vessels identified on DSA examinations were also identified on secondary imaging (Doppler US and MR imaging) in all patients except one in whom the popliteal artery was reconstituted after short-segment occlusion. The origin of the corkscrew collateral vessels was identified as the vasa nervorum of the tibial nerve in nine patients. CONCLUSIONS: Data from the present study suggest that corkscrew collateral vessels at the knee level in patients with Buerger disease originate from the vasa nervorum of the tibial nerve rather than the vasa vasorum of the popliteal artery if the latter is occluded.

Shear wave elastography of the placenta in patients with gestational diabetes mellitus.

To evaluate placental elasticty in women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) and non-diabetic controls. Thirty-three pregnant women with GDM according to the current criteria of the American Diabetes Association and 43 healthy pregnant women who were admitted to the antenatal clinic were recruited for this case-control study. Elasticity values of both the peripheral and the central parts of the placentas of the patients in both groups were determined by shear wave elastography (SWE) imaging. Mean elasticity values of both the central and the peripheral part of the placentas were significantly higher in GDM pregnancies (p < 0.001). No difference was observed in the mean elasticity values of the central and the peripheral part of the placentas in two groups (p > 0.05). SWE imaging technology might provide a quantitative assessment of the morphological pathologies of placentas in pregnant women with GDM.

Perianal Fistula With and Without Abscess: Assessment of Fistula Activity Using Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging.

BACKGROUND: Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is highly accurate for the depiction of both the primary tract of fistula and abscesses, in patients with perianal disease. In addition, MRI can be used to evaluate the activity of fistulas, which is a significant factor for determining the therapeutic strategy. OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to determine the usefulness of diffusion-weighted (DW) MRI for assessing activity and visibility of perianal fistula. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Fifty-three patients with 56 perianal fistulas were included in the current retrospective study. The T2-weighted imaging (T2WI) and DWMRI were performed and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values of fistulas were measured. Fistulas were classified into two groups: only perianal fistulas and fistulas accompanied by abscess. Fistulas were also classified into two groups, based on clinical findings: positive inflammatory activity (PIA) and negative inflammatory activity (NIA). RESULTS: Mean ADC value (mm(2)/s) of PIA group was significantly lower than that of NIA group, regarding lesions in patients with abscess-associated fistulas (1.371 × 10(-3) ± 0.168 × 10(-3) vs. 1.586 × 10(-3) ± 0.136 × 10(-3); P = 0.036). No statistically significant difference was found in mean ADC values between PIA and NIA groups, in patients with only perianal fistulas (P = 0.507). Perianal fistula visibility was greater with combined evaluation of T2WI and DWMRI than with T2WI, for two reviewers (P = 0.046 and P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: The DWMRI is a useful technique for evaluating activity of fistulas with abscess. Perianal fistula visibility is greater with combined T2WI and DWMRI than T2WI alone.

A Rare Complication of the Thyroid Malignancies: Jugular Vein Invasion.

BACKGROUND: Unilateral invasion of the internal jugular vein (IJV) after subtotal thyroidectomy caused by local recurrence of papillary thyroid carcinoma is extremely rare. We report a case of papillary thyroid carcinoma which invades IJV with hypervascular tumor thrombus. CASE REPORT: We report a case of a 52-year-old woman with a history of previous thyroid operation who presented with a 2-month history of a painless, growing, hard, solitary mass on the left side of the neck. Clinical examination revealed also ipsilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. Radiological examination showed a necrotic and cystic mass arising from the operated area extending and invading the left jugular vein wall with hypervascular tumor thrombus. Cytological examination of the mass confirmed a papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and enlarged metastatic lymph nodes. Therefore, total thyroidectomy with left neck dissection and segmental resection of the left internal jugular vein were performed, and the tumor thrombus was cleared successfully. CONCLUSIONS: Invasion of IJV with hypervascular tumor thrombosis is an extremely rare condition in papillary thyroid carcinoma. Thrombosis of IJV is probably underdiagnosed. Early-stage diagnosis is important for long-term survival rates.

Shear wave elastography of placenta: in vivo quantitation of placental elasticity in preeclampsia.

PURPOSE: We aimed to evaluate the utility of shear wave elastography (SWE) for assessing the placenta in preeclampsia disease. METHODS: A total of 50 pregnant women in the second or third trimester (23 preeclampsia patients and 27 healthy control subjects) were enrolled in the study. Obstetrical grayscale and Doppler ultrasonography, SWE findings of placenta, and prenatal/postnatal clinical data were analyzed and the best SWE cutoff value which represents the diagnosis of preeclampsia was determined. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV), and diagnostic accuracy of preeclampsia were calculated based on SWE measurements. RESULTS: Mean stiffness values were much higher in preeclamptic placentas in all regions and layers than in normal controls. The most significant difference was observed in the central placental area facing the fetus where the umbilical cord inserts, with a median of 21 kPa (range, 3-71 kPa) for preeclampsia and 4 kPa (range, 1.5-14 kPa) for the control group (P < 0.01). The SWE data showed a moderate correlation with the uterine artery resistivity and pulsatility indices. The cutoff value maximizing the accuracy of diagnosis was 7.35 kPa (area under curve, 0.895; 95% confidence interval, 0.791-0.998); sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV, and accuracy were 90%, 86%, 82%, 92%, and 88%, respectively. CONCLUSION: Stiffness of the placenta is significantly higher in patients with preeclampsia. SWE appears to be an assistive diagnostic technique for placenta evaluation in preeclampsia.

Relative proportions of stromal to cellular components of pleomorphic adenomas: determination with shear wave elastography.

OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study was to evaluate whether the relative proportions of stromal to cellular components of pleomorphic adenomas have an effect on the shear elastic modulus determined by shear wave elastography (SWE). METHODS: This study was approved by the Ethics Committee of our institution and performed between September 2011 and December 2012. Thirty-five patients who underwent surgery for a parotid mass were included in the study. The maximum shear elastic modulus of the mass was measured by SWE. Pleomorphic adenomas were histopathologically subdivided into stroma-poor, intermediate-stroma, and stroma-rich tumors based on the relative proportion of stromal to cellular components. RESULTS: The maximum shear elastic modulus values of the pleomorphic adenomas ranged from 12.6 to 291.9 kPa (mean ± SD, 120.9 ± 92.8 kPa). The Friedman test revealed a statistically significant relationship between the stromal amount and maximum shear elastic modulus (P < .001). Stroma-poor adenomas (mean, 32.3 ± 27.7 kPa; range, 12.6-81.1 kPa) were softer on SWE than stroma-rich adenomas (mean, 174.1 ± 48.4 kPa; range, 92.7-217.2 kPa; P = .009). No such significant difference was detected between stroma-poor and intermediate-stroma tumors (mean, 146.3 ± 106.1 kPa; range, 19.1-291.9 kPa; P = .062) or between intermediate-stroma and stroma-rich tumors (P = .465). CONCLUSIONS: Shear wave elastography depicts pleomorphic adenomas with a variable appearance, which is due to the relative proportions of stromal to cellular contents in the tumors.

Shear wave elastography in the evaluation of liver fibrosis in children.

BACKGROUND: Shear-wave elastography (SWE) is a novel noninvasive method that involves application of local mechanical compression on soft tissue using focused ultrasonography and acquiring strain images that show tissue response. In this study, our goal was to assess the performance of SWE in the staging of liver fibrosis in children with chronic liver disease. METHODS: The study involved measuring SWE values in the right lobe of the liver in a patient group of 76 children with chronic liver disease and a control group of 50 healthy subjects. In the patient group, the shear elastic modulus values were correlated with biopsy results according to the Brunt scoring system (F0: portal fibrosis, F1: perisinusoidal or portal/periportal fibrosis, F2: both perisinusoidal and portal/periportal fibrosis, F3: bridging fibrosis, and F4: cirrhosis). Performance of SWE in estimating liver fibrosis in children was determined based on a receiver-operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: Mean SWE values of the control group and F0 group were not statistically significantly different (P = 0.106). The mean SWE values of the F1, F2, F3, and F4 groups were higher than that of the control group (all P < 0.001). Based on kiloPascal measurement values, the area under the ROC curve was 95.2% (95% confidence interval [CI] 92.1-99.5), with a sensitivity for diagnosing liver fibrosis of 91.5%, a specificity of 94.0%, a positive predictive value of 93.1%, and a negative predictive value of 92.6%. Based on meter-per-second measurement values, the area under the ROC curve was 96.3% (95% CI 92.7-99.8), with a sensitivity for diagnosing liver fibrosis of 93.2%, a specificity of 94.0%, a positive predictive value of 93.2%, and a negative predictive value of 94.0%. Mean SWE values for patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis were higher than those in the remainder of the study group. CONCLUSIONS: Although liver fibrosis can be detected using SWE, differentiation of fibrosis stages could not be achieved. The presence of steatosis significantly increased the mean SWE values on elastography and so care should be taken when assessing children with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

Median nerve stiffness measurement by shear wave elastography: a potential sonographic method in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.

OBJECTIVES: To measure the median nerve (MN) stiffness by quantitative shear wave elastography (SWE) at the carpal tunnel inlet and to determine whether SWE can be used in the diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS). METHODS: The study included 37 consecutive patients (60 wrists) with a definitive diagnosis of CTS and 18 healthy volunteers (36 wrists). The MN cross-sectional area (CSA) by ultrasound and stiffness by SWE were studied. The difference between CTS patients and controls, and the difference among subgroups based on electrodiagnostic tests were studied by the Student's t test. Interobserver variability and ROC analysis were performed. RESULTS: The MN stiffness was significantly higher in the CTS group (66.7 kPa) when compared to controls (32.0 kPa) (P < 0.001), and higher in the severe or extreme severity group (101.4 kPa) than the mild or moderate severity group (55.1 kPa) (P < 0.001). A 40.4-kPa cut-off value on SWE revealed sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and accuracy of 93.3%, 88.9%, 93.3%, 88.9% and 91.7%, respectively. Interobserver agreement was excellent for SWE measurements. CONCLUSIONS: Median nerve stiffness at the carpal tunnel inlet is significantly higher in patients with carpal tunnel syndrome, for whom shear wave elastography appears to be a highly reproducible diagnostic technique. KEY POINTS: • Clinical examination is important for diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome • Shear wave elastography (SWE) offers new clinical opportunities within diagnostic ultrasound • SWE is highly reproducible in evaluation of median nerve stiffness • Median nerve stiffness is significantly increased in carpal tunnel syndrome • Elastography could become useful in diagnosis of carpal tunnel syndrome.

Analysis of the vertebrobasilar system in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

We conducted a prospective study to evaluate the vertebrobasilar system in adults with and without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Our study population was made up of 48 patients with OSA and 21 healthy volunteers who served as controls; the OSA patients were subdivided into one group with mild or moderate OSA (n = 22) and another with severe OSA (n = 26). Each participant underwent Doppler ultrasonography three times to measure the diameter of the vertebral artery, the peak systolic velocity (PSV), the resistive index (RI), and the vertebral artery flow volume; the mean of the three measurements was calculated for each patient, for the OSA and control groups, and for various subgroups. No significant differences in vessel diameter, PSV, or RI were seen among any of the subgroups. Overall, the vertebral artery flow volume was slightly, but not significantly, higher in all patients with OSA (206 ml/min) than in the control group (177 ml/min); this difference might reflect the body's daytime response to the chronic apneic events experienced during sleep. The only statistically significant difference we found was in vertebral artery flow volume between the controls and the subgroup with mild or moderate OSA (p = 0.026); no difference was seen between the controls and the patients with severe OSA (p = 0.318). Likewise, no significant difference in any of the four parameters was seen when patients were subclassified by body mass index and arterial oxygen saturation level.

ω-3 fatty acid treatment in cardiac syndrome X: a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical study.

OBJECTIVE: We conducted a clinical trial to examine the effect of ω-3 fatty acids in patients with cardiac syndrome X (CSX). We aimed to evaluate the potential impact of ω-3 fatty acids on endothelial function, oxidative stress, and symptom relief in the CSX. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighteen patients with CSX were enrolled according to a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled design. Patients were randomized to ω-3 fatty acids (1440 mg/day, n=8) or placebo (n=10) for 4 months. We assessed plasma levels of malondialdehyde (MDA), endothelium-dependent vasodilatation [flow-mediated dilatation (FMD)], endothelium-independent vasodilatation [nitroglycerin-mediated dilatation (NMD)], and status of symptom [score with Seattle Angina Questionnaire (SAQ)] before and after the treatment. After 4 months, patients who were treated with ω-3 fatty acids showed significant increases in the FMD (from 47±48 to 104±23%, P<0.05) and NMD (from 51±53 to 93±35%, P<0.05) values, and significant decreases in the plasma MDA levels (4.4±0.86 to 3.35±0.33 µmol/l, P=0.012). SAQ scores were increased significantly in both groups (from 60±14 to 73±15%, P<0.05 placebo, from 67±10 to 81±9%, P<0.05 treatment group). NMD was correlated negatively with the plasma MDA levels. CONCLUSION: Four months of therapy with a moderate dose of ω-3 fatty acids improved the endothelial function and reduced oxidative stress in patients with CSX.