Evaluation of ovarian function using three dimensional ultrasound in perimenopausal women.

To evaluate the feasibility and clinical value of three-dimensional ultrasound in evaluating ovarian function in perimenopausal women. In this prospective cohort study, 102 patients with clinically suspected perimenopause and 90 patients with menopause were enrolled. These patients were classified into three groups according to the level of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and estradiol (E2): menopause group, perimenopause group, and normal group. Perimenopause group: There were significant differences in volume, vascularization index (VI), flow index (FI), and vascularization-flow index (VFI) in the ovaries after treatment. Cycle 1 > cycle 0 (p < .05) and cycle 3 cycle 0 (p < .05), and in FSH: cycle 3 < cycle 0 (p < .05). Three-dimensional ultrasound in ovarian quantitative measurement can objectively reflect the change in the ovarian function, predicting the effect of drug treatment, and provided an objective information for early intervention to menopausal.

Clinicopathologic and Ultrasound Variables Associated With a Heavy Axillary Nodal Tumor Burden in Invasive Breast Carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: To identify clinicopathologic and ultrasound (US) variables that were associated with a heavy nodal tumor burden, which was defined as 3 or more lymph nodes involved with metastasis to the axilla after invasive breast carcinoma. METHODS: With ethical approval, 621 patients with a pathologic diagnosis of invasive breast carcinoma were retrospectively analyzed for clinical, pathologic, and US data. Pathologic findings were ascertained by the final paraffin pathologic analysis. Ultrasound characteristics were evaluated on the basis of the American College of Radiology's Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the clinicopathologic and US variables that were associated with a heavy nodal tumor burden at the axilla. RESULTS: There were 107 cases (17.2%) of invasive breast carcinoma with a heavy tumor burden at the axilla. The independent clinicopathologic variables for a heavy tumor burden at the axilla included a tumor size of 2 to 5 cm (odds ratio [OR], 1.86; P = .036), the presence of lymphovascular invasion (OR, 23.52; P < .001), the presence of papillary invasion (OR, 2.93; P = .043), and a non-triple-negative subtype (OR, 2.34; P = .04). The independent US features of breast tumors that were associated with a heavy tumor burden at the axilla included BI-RADS category 5 (OR, 5.50; P = .024) and a posterior acoustic shadow (OR, 1.94; P = .024). CONCLUSIONS: A large tumor size, lymphovascular invasion, papillary invasion, and a non-triple-negative subtype on the pathologic analysis as well as BI-RADS category 5 and a posterior acoustic shadow on a US assessment were associated with a heavy nodal tumor burden at the axilla. These US characteristics of the primary breast carcinoma might provide additional information to axillary US for the prediction of axillary nodal tumor loads.