Doppler ultrasonography blood flow changes of the hepatic artery in liver transplants complicated with cholangitis.

PURPOSE: Cholangitis after liver transplantation may lead to bile duct necrosis. Early diagnosis is essential to prevent graft loss. We aimed to investigate cholangitis related hepatic arterial Doppler ultrasonography findings in liver transplants. METHODS: Patients complicated with biopsy proven cholangitis in grafts were prospectively evaluated. Vascular complications were excluded. Doppler ultrasonography parameters including hepatic arterial diameter, resistive index, volume flow, and portal vein maximum velocity were measured twice: first during cholangitis and after full recovery. Data of two groups were compared using paired samples t test and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: The mean hepatic arterial volume flow, resistive index, and diameter of 33 patients complicated with cholangitis was observed to decrease after recovery from 0.356 to 0.273 L/min (p = 0.007), from 0.64 to 0.60 (p < 0.001) and from 4.9 to 4.4 mm (p < 0.001), respectively. Portal vein maximum velocity alteration was not statistically significant (p = 0.6). CONCLUSION: Ultrasound follow-ups after liver transplantation can give us the clue of cholangitis initiation through some altering hepatic arterial Doppler parameters. Even though these are nonspecific findings that can also be observed in vascular complications, baseline Doppler data should be saved for future comparison and considered to prevent biliary associated graft loss.

Preferred music lowers anxiety levels and pain perception while promoting patient satisfaction in women undergoing ultrasound-guided breast biopsy: randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Image-guided breast biopsies are well accepted, yet stressful procedures for patients in radiology clinics. PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of music on anxiety, pain, and patient satisfaction related to a breast biopsy session. MATERIAL AND METHODS: After approval of institutional review board and giving informed consent, 93 women scheduled for ultrasound-guided breast biopsy or stereotactic wire localization were prospectively enrolled in this randomized controlled study. Patients were referred into two groups either listening to music of their own choice from three options of genre list during the procedure or not. Immediately before and after the biopsy session, participants were asked to complete questionnaires for measuring anxiety (State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory), pain, and patient satisfaction (visual analog scale). Sociodemographic data were described, and the duration was noted at the end. Statistical analysis was made using paired samples t-test, chi-square test, independent samples t-test, and Mann-Whitney U test. RESULTS: Except for the duration, demographic characteristics were statistically similar between the two groups. Trait and preprocedural state anxiety scores did not have significant difference between the groups. Both groups showed lowered state anxiety values after the biopsy (P < 0.05) and there was statistically significant reduction in state anxiety levels of music group (10.35 ± 7.5 music vs. 7 ± 7.98 control; P = 0.024). Pain perception was fewer (P < 0.05) and patient satisfaction was greater (P < 0.05) through the implementation of music. CONCLUSION: Music intervention reduces anxiety and pain and thereby increases patient satisfaction during ultrasound-guided breast biopsies.

The Role of Combined Diffusion-Weighted Imaging and Dynamic Contrast-Enhanced MRI for Differentiating Malignant From Benign Breast Lesions Presenting Washout Curve.

PURPOSE: The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic performance of combined breast magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol including dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI (DCE-MRI) and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) in patients with enhancing lesions that demonstrated washout curve and to determine whether applying apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) cutoff value could improve the diagnostic value of breast MRI. METHODS: The retrospective study included 116 patients with 116 suspicious breast lesions, which showed washout curve on DCE-MRI, who underwent subsequent biopsy. Morphologic characteristics on DCE-MRI and ADC values on DWI were evaluated. Apparent diffusion coefficient values and morphologic features of benign and malignant lesions were compared. Diagnostic values of DCE-MRI and combined MRI, including DCE-MRI and DWI (applying an ADC cutoff value) for distinguishing malignancy from benign lesions, were calculated. RESULTS: Of the 116 breast lesions, 79 were malignant and 37 were benign. The ADC value of malignant tumors (median ADC, 0.72 × 10-3 mm2/s) was significantly lower than that of benign lesions (median ADC, 1.03 × 10-3 mm2/s; P < .000). The sensitivity and specificity of an ADC cutoff value of 0.89 × 10-3 mm2/s were 92% and 95%, respectively. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI alone presented 100% sensitivity and 59.4% specificity. Adding an ADC cutoff value of 0.89 × 10-3 mm2/s provided 100% sensitivity and 81% specificity, which would have prevented biopsy for 21.6% of benign lesions without missing any malignancies. CONCLUSION: Applying an ADC cutoff value to DCE-MRI provides an improvement in the diagnostic value of breast MRI for differentiating among lesions presenting washout curve.

Diffusion-Weighted Imaging of Breast Cancer: Correlation of the Apparent Diffusion Coefficient Value with Pathologic Prognostic Factors.

OBJECTIVE: The aim was to evaluate relationship between apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) values with pathologic prognostic factors in breast carcinoma (BC). MATERIALS AND METHODS: 83 patients were enrolled in this study. Prognostic factors included age, tumor size, expression of estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), nuclear grade (NG), lymph node involvement and histologic type. The relationship between ADC and prognostic factors was determined using Independent sample t-test, ANOVA, Pearson correlation and relative operating characteristics (ROC) analysis. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between ADC and prognostic factors, including age, tumor size, ER, HER2 and histologic type. The PR-positive tumors (p=0.03) and axillary lymph node involvement (p=0.000) showed a significant association with lower ADC values. The ADC values were significantly lower in high-grade tumors than low-grade tumors (p=0.000). ROC analysis showed an optimal ADC threshold of 0.66 (×10-3 mm2/s) for differentiating low-grade tumors from high-grade tumors (sensitivity, 85.5%; specificity, 81%; area under curve, 0.90). CONCLUSION: The lower ADC values of BC were significantly associated with positive expression of PR, LN positivity and high-grade tumor. Especially, ADC values were valuable in predicting NG subgroups.

Can strain elastography combined with ultrasound breast imaging reporting and data system be a more effective method in the differentiation of benign and malignant breast lesions?

PURPOSE: To investigate whether a novel method that combines breast imaging reporting and data system (BI-RADS) with strain elastography contributes to diagnostic performance in differentiation of malignant and benign breast lesions. METHODS: In 81 patients, 81 breast lesions were prospectively investigated. Breast lesions were separately evaluated with ultrasonography and strain elastography. While evaluations with ultrasonography were based on 2003 BI-RADS-US, strain elastography evaluations were based on a 5-point scale and strain ratio. Diagnostic performances of ultrasonography, strain elastography, and the combined method were compared. RESULTS: Among 81 lesions, 43 (53.1%) were benign and 38 (46.9%) were malignant. When a cutoff point of category 3 was used, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for BI-RADS were 100, 11.6, 50, 100, and 53%, respectively. When BI-RADS and strain ratio were combined, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy were 89.5, 93, 91.9, 90.9, and 91.3%, respectively. When BI-RADS and elastography scores were combined, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy were 86.8, 97.7, 97.1, 89.4, and 92.5%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The combination of strain elastography and BI-RADS was found to have better diagnostic performances to diagnose breast lesions than BI-RADS alone.