The diagnostic value of high-frequency ultrasonography in biliary atresia.

BACKGROUND: It is a globally challenging problem to differentially diagnose biliary atresia (BA) from other disease processes causing infantile cholestatic jaundice. The high-frequency ultrasonography (HUS) yields much improved spatial resolution and therefore, might show better image in BA diagnostic examination. The present study was to evaluate the HUS on the diagnosis of BA in infants with jaundice. METHODS: Fifty-one infants with neonatal jaundice were scanned with ultrasonography. Images included gallbladder, bile duct, right hepatic artery (RHA), portal vein (PV) and triangular cord (TC) sign, magnetic resonance imaging and additionally, laboratory tests and histopathology reports were assessed. RESULTS: Twenty-three BA and 28 non-BA cases were confirmed. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of HUS were 91.3%, 92.9%, and 92.2%, respectively. All of these indices were significantly higher than those of conventional ultrasonography (P<0.01) and MR cholangiopancreatography (P<0.05). The HUS features, included a positive TC sign, an increased RHA diameter and RHA-diameter to portal-vein-diameter ratio (RHA/PV) and abnormal gallbladder, were important in the diagnosis of BA. CONCLUSION: HUS provided better imaging of BA and should be considered as a primary modality in the differential diagnosis of infantile jaundice.

[Comparison study on the diagnosis of erectile dysfunction with color Doppler ultrasonography and nocturnal electrobioimpedance volumetric assessment].

OBJECTIVE: To study the diagnostic value of color Doppler ultrasonography(CDUS) and nocturnal electrobioimpedance volumetric assessment (NEVA) in the assessment of erectile dysfunction (ED) and in differentiating the causes of ED. METHODS: CDUS and NEVA were performed in the 45 patients with ED. The patients were classified into 3 groups according to their results of CDUS, and compared all parameters of NEVA between each two groups, and then studied the correlation between CDUS and NEVA in the assessment of ED. RESULTS: In the non-vasculogenic ED group, 17 (94.4%) patients had normal nocturnal penile tumescence (NPT); and in contrast, there were 9(75.0%) and 8(72.7%) patients with abnormal NPT in the arteriogenic and venogenic ED groups, respectively. Except that the blood volume change of penis in the venogenic ED group was significantly lower than that in the non-vasculogenic ED group (P = 0.033), there were no significant difference in the other parameters of NEVA between each two groups. CONCLUSION: The results of NEVA are well correlated with the functions of artery and venous which were indicated by CDUS. NEVA can indicate the causes of ED to some extent.

The value of color Doppler ultrasonography in monitoring normal orthotopic liver transplantation and postoperative complications.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the value of color Doppler ultrasonography in monitoring normal orthotopic liver transplantation and postoperative complications. METHODS: Forty-one patients after orthotopic liver transplantation were examined by using color Doppler flow imaging to observe the hepatic blood flow and change of ultrasonography of the hepatic parenchyma and bile duct. The measured indexes included maximum blood flow velocity, time-average blood flow velocity (TAV), resistance index (RI) and diameter of the bile duct. RESULTS: Among 41 patients, 17 (41.5%) suffered from liver transplant rejection. Of the 17 patients, 13 (76.4%) showed decrease of TAV of the portal vein, 15 (88.25%) low-amplitude single-phase serrated wave or negative biphasic wave of the hepatic vein, 9 (52.9%) increased hepatic arterial RI, and 5 (29.4%) slightly dilated bile duct. Sonography showed disappearance of the hepatic artery blood flow around the portal vein in 5 (12.2%) of the 41 patients with hepatic artery thrombosis in the postoperative period. Slight dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct was found in 3 (7.3%) of the 41 patients in the early postoperational period and it normalized within 2 weeks. Ultrasonography of 20 patients (48.8%) revealed a visible dilatation of the intrahepatic bile duct, which was worsening gradually. The causes of bile duct dilatation included biliary stricture in 2 patients (10%), stone in 15 patients (75%) and others in 3 patients (15%). CONCLUSIONS: Color Doppler ultrasonography is valuable for monitoring normal liver transplantation and postoperative complications.