Carotid artery ultrasonography and shear wave elastography in Takayasu's arteritis: a comparative analysis with diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVES: Takayasu's arteritis (TAK) is a chronic inflammatory large vessel vasculitis with a grim prognosis due to the excessive risk for cardiovascular (CV) diseases. Its diagnosis relies on radiographic imaging and its differentiation particularly from atherosclerosis could be challenging. Hypothesising that vascular morphology observed in TAK would be comparable to that found in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), a prototype for advanced atherosclerosis, we compared two disease groups using carotid artery B mode US and shear wave elastography (SWE). METHODS: A total of 72 patients with TAK (63F/9M; mean age: 42.7± 10.0 years) and 74 patients with T2DM (65F/9M; mean age: 50.2± 7.1 years) were studied. Intima-media thickness (IMT), outer diameter and arterial stiffness as assessed by SWE values were measured on the common carotid artery (CCA) and atherosclerotic plaques were recorded. Clinical characteristics, CV risk factors and previous history of CV diseases were determined. Framingham risk score was calculated. RESUULTS: Patients with TAK exhibited significantly lower atherosclerotic risk but higher systolic blood pressure (BP) levels compared to those with T2DM. The mean values of CCA IMT, outer diameter, and stiffness were significantly elevated among patients with TAK compared to those with T2DM. Carotid artery plaques were evenly distributed between the study groups, but their anatomical localisation and composition differed significantly. While coronary artery disease (CAD) was more prevalent among T2DM patients, cerebrovascular diseases were more frequent among TAK patients. CONCLUSIONS: Our study revealed distinctive vascular alterations and atherosclerotic changes when compared to advanced atherosclerosis associated with T2DM. Apart from these, higher levels of systolic BP and significantly different distribution of CV diseases between TAK and T2DM also suggest that TAK should be handled with distinct assessment strategies than that employed in conventional atherosclerotic conditions.

Chronic jejuno-colonic fistula and intestinal malabsorption due to multiple magnet ingestions: A case report and systematic review.

Magnet ingestion in children can lead to serious complications, both acutely and chronically. This case report discusses the treatment approach for a case involving multiple magnet ingestions, which resulted in a jejuno-colonic fistula, segmental intestinal volvulus, hepa-tosteatosis, and renal calculus detected at a late stage. Additionally, we conducted a literature review to explore the characteristics of intestinal fistulas caused by magnet ingestion. A six-year-old girl was admitted to the Pediatric Gastroenterology Department pre-senting with intermittent abdominal pain, vomiting, and diarrhea persisting for two years. Initial differential diagnoses included celiac disease, cystic fibrosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and tuberculosis, yet the etiology remained elusive. The Pediatric Surgery team was consulted after a jejuno-colonic fistula was suspected based on magnetic resonance imaging findings. The physical examination revealed no signs of acute abdomen but showed mild abdominal distension. Subsequent upper gastrointestinal series and contrast enema graphy confirmed a jejuno-colonic fistula and segmental volvulus. The family later reported that the child had swallowed a magnet two years prior, and medical follow-up had stopped after the spontaneous expulsion of the magnets within one to two weeks. Surgical intervention was necessary to correct the volvulus and repair the large jejuno-colonic fistula. To identify relevant studies, we conducted a detailed literature search on magnet ingestion and gastrointestinal fistulas according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines. We identified 44 articles encompassing 55 cases where symptoms did not manifest in the acute phase and acute abdomen was not observed. In 29 cases, the time of magnet ingestion was unknown. Among the 26 cases with a known ingestion time, the average duration until fistula detection was 22.8 days (range: 1-90 days). Fistula repairs were performed via laparotomy in 47 cases.

Systemic lupus erythematosus complicated with Castleman disease: a case-based review.

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a complex, chronic, multi-systemic autoimmune disease, characterized by miscellaneous clinical findings. Castleman disease (CD) is a rare lymphoproliferative disorder that may present with systemic symptoms. Herein, a SLE case complicated with CD is reported by comparing her clinical findings with previously reported patients. We reviewed the literature regarding cases of "Castleman disease" and "Systemic lupus erythematosus" by searching medical journal databases in MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, and Web of Science. A case of a 16-year-old girl with SLE who had intraabdominal lymphadenopathy detected both by ultrasonography and abdominal magnetic resonance imaging is presented. The excision of the lymph node was performed by pediatric surgeons. Histopathological examination was compatible with CD. Hydroxychloroquine and steroid treatments were started after the operation. She achieved remission in 3 months. In the literature research, we found 10 articles describing 17 patients. To our best of knowledge, the presented case was the third pediatric case in the literature with SLE and coexistent CD. This case report and literature review suggests that CD should be considered while evaluating and following patients with autoimmune diseases.

Shear Wave Elastography in the Evaluation of the Kidneys in Pediatric Patients with Unilateral Vesicoureteral Reflux.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the ability of shear wave elastography (SWE) to detect renal parenchymal scar formation in patients with vesicoureteral reflux. METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 49 patients with unilateral grade 2 or higher-degree VUR. All patients underwent dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) scintigraphy for evaluation of the renal parenchymal scar. After the DMSA scan, 2 radiologists, who were blinded to clinical data and each other's measurements, evaluated the kidneys of the patients using SWE. The kidneys were divided into 3 parts: upper pole, middle region, and lower pole, and 3 regions of interest were placed to each part. Shear wave velocity (SWV) values were calculated using meters per second as a unit and recorded for each region. Afterward, SWV values were compared to DMSA results. RESULTS: There was no significant difference between the observers' mean SWV values of kidneys with VUR without scar formation (mean ± SD, 2.11 ± 0.06 and 2.09 ± 0.05 m/s) and the contralateral normal kidney SVW values (2.11 ± 0.06 and 2.10 ± 0.05 m/s; P = .936 and .724, respectively). We observed a significant difference between the mean SWV values of the kidneys with VUR accompanied by scar formation (2.28 ± 0.10 and 2.27 ± 0.11 m/s) and the mean SWV values of the contralateral normal kidneys (2.09 ± 0.05 and 2.10 ± 0.04 m/s; P < .001 for both observers). CONCLUSIONS: Shear wave elastography could detect scar tissue in kidneys; however, the variability of the stiffness due to the kidney's complex structure, and variations in blood perfusion and the glomerular filtration rate of the kidney might limit the use of SWE in current clinical diagnostic algorithms for VUR.

Quantitative Assessment of Thyroid, Submandibular, and Parotid Glands Elasticity With Shear-Wave Elastography in Children.

Tissue elasticity is becoming a more commonly used parameter in evaluation of parenchyma in inflammatory diseases. Considering the changes in the thyroid and salivary glands with adolescence, determination of mean elasticity ranges with a function of age is necessary to apply ultrasound elastography more widely in the pediatric population.The thyroid, submandibular, and parotid glands of 127 healthy volunteers (66 males, 61 females; mean age = 10.3 ± 3.9 years; range = 3-17 years) were evaluated with shear-wave elastography.The mean elasticity values for the thyroid, submandibular, and parotid glands were 14.6 ± 3.3, 11.8 ± 2.2, and 11.8 ± 2.6 kPa, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between age and elasticity of the thyroid, submandibular, and parotid glands. There was a significant correlation between age and elasticity value of the thyroid gland adjusted for weight and height.This study provided the baseline quantitative elasticity measures of thyroid, submandibular, and parotid glands, which would be a reference for upcoming studies. In addition, an increase in elasticity value in thyroid gland as a function of age independent of change in weight and height was demonstrated.

In vivo assessment of placental elasticity in intrauterine growth restriction by shear-wave elastography.

PURPOSE: In this study, we evaluated the placental elasticity in vivo by shear-wave elastography in pregnant women under follow-up for intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) and compared the elasticity values to normal pregnancies. MATERIAL AND METHODS: This prospective study included 42 pregnant women with a possible diagnosis of intrauterine growth restriction based on obstetrical grayscale and Doppler ultrasonography and 42 women with a normal pregnancy during the 2nd and 3rd trimester. During follow-up examinations, seven fetuses showed an increased growth and were delivered with a birth-weight above the 10 percentile. However, for statistical purposes we included these seven patients in the IUGR group due to prospective nature of the study. All patients initially underwent obstetrical grayscale and Doppler ultrasonography with measurement of resistivity and pulsatility indices from uterine arteries. Subsequently, elasticity values of the peripheral and central part of the placentas from fetal and maternal surfaces were measured by shear-wave elastography. Following delivery, Apgar scores at 1st and 5th minute, birth weight were collected. For statistical analysis, Mann-Whitney U test was used. ROC curves were plotted and cut-off values for elasticity values were analyzed. RESULTS: Median elasticity values of the central part of the placentas from maternal (28kPa vs 6kPa) and fetal sides (21.5kPa vs 5kPa) were significantly higher in IUGR pregnancies compared to the control group (p<0.001). Similarly, median elasticity values of peripheral part of placentas from maternal (22kPa vs 5.35kPa) and fetal sides (22.5kPa vs 5.3kPa) were significantly higher in IUGR pregnancies compared to the control group (p<0.001). CONCLUSION: Placental stiffness values are significantly higher in patients with IUGR. Shear-wave elastography can be used as a non-invasive, complementary method to gray-scale and Doppler ultrasound for diagnosing IUGR.

Diffusion-weighted MRI for differentiating Wilms tumor from neuroblastoma.

PURPOSE: Wilms tumor (WT) and neuroblastoma (NB) are the most common pediatric abdominal malignant neoplasms of the kidney and adrenal gland. Differentiating them from each other is essential since their treatments are different. Here, we aimed to show the diffusion characteristics of WT and NB for differentiation. METHODS: Diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) of 17 histopathologically diagnosed lesions (10 NB and 7 WT in 8 female and 9 male patients) was evaluated retrospectively. The apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value for each tumor was calculated using region-of-interest (ROI) measurements by two observers. The mean ADC values were compared, and receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve analysis was performed. Intraclass correlation was evaluated for the reliability of ADC measurement. RESULTS: The mean ADC values measured by two observers were 0.787±0.09 ×10-3 mm2/s and 0.768±0.08 ×10-3 mm2/s for WT, and 0.524±0.16 ×10-3 mm2/s and 0.529±0.16 ×10-3 mm2/s for NB, respectively (P = 0.006 and P = 0.011). Intraclass correlation coefficient was 0.955. Utilizing ROC curve analysis, a cutoff ADC value of ≤0.645 ×10-3 mm2/s was obtained to differentiate NB from WT. CONCLUSION: ADC values of NBs were significantly lower than WT with a perfect interobserver agreement. We suggest that DWI may have a role in differentiating the two tumors.

Epicardial fat thickness as associated with left ventricular myocardial performance in patients with newly diagnosed hypertension.

OBJECTIVE: Epicardial fat thickness (EFth) is associated with both left ventricular hypertrophy (LVH) and diastolic dysfunction. However, the effect of EFth on myocardial performance is not known. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between EFth and tissue Doppler myocardial performance index (TD-MPI), which incorporates both systolic and diastolic left ventricular (LV) function, in newly diagnosed hypertension (HT) patients. METHODS: A total of 314 consecutive, newly diagnosed HT patients were prospectively included (mean age: 51.9±1.7 years). EFth was measured perpendicularly on the free wall of the right ventricle at the end of the systole in 2 echocardiographic views (parasternal short and long axis). Myocardial performance index (MPI) was calculated using tissue Doppler (TD) echocardiography. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to median TD-MPI levels (TD-MPIlow and TD-MPIhigh). RESULTS: EFth values of the TD-MPIhigh group were higher than those of the TD-MPIlow group (p<0.05). Patients in the TD-MPIhigh group also had higher age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), left ventricular mass index (LVMI), E/A ratio, and aortic distensibility, compared with the TD-MPIlow group (p<0.05 for all). Multivariate linear regression analysis showed that TD-MPI was independently associated with age (ß=0.089, p=0.012), LVMI (ß=0.090, p=0.05), E/A (ß=-0.118, p=0.005), and EFth (ß=0.432, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: TD-MPI was independently associated with EFth in patients with newly diagnosed HT. EFth may be used as a predictor of impaired LV global functions in patients with normal left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and newly diagnosed HT.