Objective To study the CT features of invasive hydatidiform mole and CT value in clinical application. Methods Thirteen cases of invasive hydatidiform mole proved by clinic and pathology were examined with conventional CT and contrast CT, then the CT features were analysed . Results CT findings of invasive hydatidiform mole included : enlargement of uterus, multiple hypodense cysts of different sizes and isodense soft tissue inside uterus, hypodense cysts inside the myometrium thicken irregularly,the cyst wall and isodense soft tissue enhanced markedly and up to 30~50 HU.Conclusion The CT features of invasive hydatidiform mole are specific and CT is of important value in clinical application.

Objective To investigate MR imaging features of parotid gland in Sj?gren′s syndrome ( SS).Methods Twenty-seven cases of xerostomia patients were collected and divided into SS group ( n=21) and non-SS group (n=6) according to the international classification (diagnosis) criteria for SS.Ten healthy volunteers were recruited as the control group.All the subjects underwent conventional MRI of parotid gland and MR sialography ( MRS).Standard deviation of T 1 WI and T2 WI signal intensity among 3 groups was observed, meanwhile, grading was made according to parotid glands , fat signal and parotid duct expansion degree respectively.With clinical diagnosis as the gold standard , diagnostic value of conventional MRI , MRS and their combination used in SS was compared.One-way ANOVA was used in comparison of standard deviation of parotid gland′s signal intensity among 3 groups , and Chi-square test was applied in comparison of conventional MRI and MRS diagnostic value.Moreover , Kappa value was calculated to assess the consistency of two grading results in SS.Results Signal intensity of parotid glands in control group and non-SS group was homogeneous.However , bilaterally diffused and heterogeneous high signal intensity on both T1WI and T2WI was found in SS patients, which was depressed on T2WI fat suppression sequences.Forty-two parotid glands were graded by fat signal:Grade 0 (n=2 glands), Grade 1 (n=10), Grade 2 (n=10), Grade 3 (n=6) and Grade 4 (n=14).Parotid peripheral ducts of control group and non-SS group were unexpanded , while bilaterally expanded parotid peripheral ducts were shown in SS patients.The grading of 42 parotid glands by expansion degree of parotid duct , Grade 0 was rated in 12, Grade 1 in 8, Grade 2 in 10, Grade 3 in 5, and Grade 4 in 7.Standard deviation of T1WI signal intensity of parotid glands among SS group , non-SS group and control group were 124.1 ±30.0, 81.8 ±27.6, and 86.3 ±35.0 respectively;and standard deviation of T 2 WI signal intensity were 115.1 ±35.2, 69.8 ±23.5, and 80.1 ±31.4 respectively; the standard deviation of T 1 WI and T2 WI signal intensity of SS group was higher than both non-SS group and control group′s ( F value =13.780 and 13.301, respectively, P <0.01), however, the difference of standard deviation of signal intensity of non-SS group and control group had no statistical significance (P>0.05).Among 42 parotid glands with SS, conventional MRI and MRS showed parotid gland lesions in 40 and 30 respectively , and the difference was statistically significant (χ2 =13.04, P=0.013).There was no false positive result.The combination of the two methods detected all 42 lesions.The consistency of detecting parotid abnormalities with SS between conventional MRI and MRS was poor (Kappa=0.12, P=0.092).Conclusions Diffuse fatty infiltration on conventional MRI and diffuse peripheral duct dilatation on MRS in the parotid gland are characteristic features of SS , and conventional MRI could be used as the preferred technique for the SS.combination with MRS may improve diagnostic accuracy.

ObjectiveTo observe the changes of the respiratory dynamics during expand thymectomy,and to explore the protection of ulinastatin on pulmonary function.MethodsSixty patients with myasthenia gravis( Ossermann Ⅰ,Ⅱ b)undergoing expand thymectomy were randomly divided into control group( group C,n =30)and ulinastatin group( group U,n =30).Patients in ulinastatin group received intravenous injection of ulinastatin 4000 U/kg in 20 ml physiological saline immediately after entering operating room and pumped ulinastatin 2000 U/( kg · h)to the end of the operation continuously.Patients in control group received the same volume of normal saline.Heart rate ( HR ),mean arterial pressure ( MAP ),lung compliance,airway peak pressure,plateau airway pressure,inspiratory and expiratory resistance were monitored before induction of anesthesia( T1 ),during skin incision ( T2),at 30 min after operation ( T3 ) and at 60 min after operation (T4),at the end of operation before extubation(T5).ResultsCompared with T1,HR and MAP at T2 in two groups were increased obviously [ group U HR:( 90.2 ± 13.5 ) bpm vs ( 78.6 ± 10.4 ) bpm,MAP:( 15.5 ± 2.3 ) kPa vs ( 12.1 ± 1.5)kPa;group C HR:(94.3 ± 15.4)bpm vs(81.6 ± 12.2)bpm,MAP:( 16.8 ± 2.6) kPa vs( 12.6 ±1.8)kPa,P ＜ 0.05 )].There was no significant difference on HR,MAP at each time between the two groups (P ＞0.05).At T3,T4,T5,the lung compliance was significantly decreased when compared with T1 [ group U:T3,T4,TS(51.23 ± 12.33) ml/cm H2O,(50.35 ± 13.29) ml/cm H2O and(50.65 ± 13.16) ml/cm H2O vs T1 (53.69 ± 14.34) ml/cm H2O;group C:T3,T4,T5(41.56 ± 11.20)ml/cm H2O,(42.02 ± 10.12) ml/cm H2O and(39.85 ± 10.31 ) ml/cm H2O vs T1 ( 53.45 ± 15.21 ) ml/cm H2O; P ＜ 0.05 ) ].Airway peak pressure,plateau airway pressure,inspiratory and expiratory resistance at T3,T4,T5 were obviously increased compared with T1 in two groups [ airway peak pressure:group U:( 13.04 ± 2.14 ) cm H2O,( 13.12 ± 2.42 ) cm H2O,(13.22±2.48)cm H2O,vs(12.04 ±2.12)cm H2O;group C:(16.25 ±3.27)cm H2O,(15.56 ±4.34)cm H2 O,( 16.64 ± 3.45 ) cm H2O,vs ( 13.12 ± 2.32 ) cm H2O; plateau airway pressure:group U:( 10.54 ±2.46) cm H2O,( 11.76 ± 3.11 ) cm H2O,( 12.02 ± 3.25 ) cm H2 O,vs ( 9.48 ± 2.13 ) cm H2O; group C:(15.02 ±3.87)cm H2O,( 15.51 ± 3.13) cm H2O,( 15.67 ± 3.02) cm H2O,vs (9.25 ± 1.26) cm H2O;inspiratory resistance:group U:( 8.56 ± 2.52 ) cm H2O,( 9.31 ± 3.06 ) cm H2O,( 8.44 ± 2.45 ) cm H2O,vs (8.25 ±2.20)cm H2O;group C:(11.52 ±3.06)cm H2O,(12.16 ±3.02)cm H2O,(12.83 ±3.14)vs ( 8.31 ± 2.24 ) cm H2O ; expiratory resistance:group U:( 10.22 ± 2.24 ) cm H2O,( 10.34 ± 2.66 ) cm H2O,(10.27 ± 2.22) cm H2O,vs(8.46 ± 2.37) cm H2O; group C:(14.43 ±3.18)cm H2O,(14.56 ±3.32)cm H2O,( 14.46 ± 3.52 ) cm H2O,vs ( 8.55 ± 2.18 ) cm H2O; P ＜ 0.05 ) ].The increased degree of lung compliance and the decreased degree of airway peak pressure,plateau airway pressure,inspiratory and expiratory resistance at the time of T3,T4,T5 and T1 in ulinastatin group were all significantly higher than those in control group(F=6.167,3.138,4.137,5.217,4.361,respectively,P ＜0.05).ConclusionUlinastatin can improve respiratory dynamics,reduce lung injury,and play a protective role in patients with myasthenia gravis.

BACKGROUND: Three-dimensional shear wave elastography (3D-SWE) is a promising method in distinguishing benign and malignant thyroid nodules. By combining with conventional method, it may further improve the diagnostic value. The study aimed to assess the diagnostic value of American College of Radiology (ACR) thyroid imaging reporting and data system (TI-RADS) combined with 3D-SWE in ACR TI-RADS 4 and 5 thyroid nodules. METHODS: All nodules were examined by conventional ultrasonography, ACR TI-RADS classification, and 3D-SWE examination. Conventional ultrasonography was used to observe the location, size, shape, margin, echogenicity, taller-than-wide sign, microcalcification, and blood flow of thyroid nodules, and then ACR TI-RADS classification was performed. The Young's modulus values (3D-C-Emax, 3D-C-Emean, and elastography standard deviation [3D-C-Esd]) were measured on the reconstructed coronal plane images. According to the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve, the best diagnostic efficiency among 3D-C-Emax, 3D-C-Emean, and 3D-C-Esd was selected and the cut-off threshold was calculated. According to the surgical pathology, they were divided into benign group and malignant group. And appropriate statistical methods such as t -test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the difference between the two groups. On this basis, 3D-SWE combined with conventional ACR TI-RADS was reclassified as combined ACR TI-RADS to determine benign or malignant thyroid nodules. RESULTS: Of the 112 thyroid nodules, 62 were malignant and 50 were benign. The optimal cut-off value of three-dimensional maximum Young's modulus in coronal plane (3D-C-Emax) was 51.5 kPa and the area under the curve (AUC) was 0.798. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of conventional ACR TI-RADS were 0.828, 83.9%, 66.0%, and 75.9%, respectively. The AUC, sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of combined ACR TI-RADS were 0.845, 90.3%, 66.0%, and 79.5%, respectively. The difference between the two AUC values was statistically significant. CONCLUSIONS Combined ACR TI-RADS has higher diagnostic efficiency than conventional ACR TI-RADS. The sensitivity and accuracy of combined ACR TI-RADS showed significant improvements. It can be used as an effective method in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.
Humans ; Thyroid Nodule/pathology* ; Elasticity Imaging Techniques/methods* ; Retrospective Studies ; Ultrasonography/methods*

Objective To discuss the clinical significance of the changes in plasma D-dimer levels in patients with primary hepatic carcinoma (PHC) after receiving transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE).Methods The clinical data of 69 PHC patients were collected.According to mRECIST criteria,the patients were divided into disease-controlled group,i.e.(CR+PR+SD) patients,(group A,n=41) and disease progression group,i.e.PD patients,(group B,n=28).The plasma D-dimer levels were determined before and after TACE in all patients.The differences in plasma D-dimer levels were determined with ranksum test,and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to evaluate the potency of D-dimer levels in judging TACE efficacy.Results The pre-TACE and post-TACE plasma D-dimer levels in group A were 124.00 μg/L (88.00-212.00 μg/L) and 190.00 μg/L (75.00-273.00 μg/L) respectively,the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05),while those in group B were 261.50 μg/L (138.25-559.50 μg/L) and 554.50 μg/L (398.25-1 080.00 μg/L) respectively.The pre-TACE plasma D-dimer level in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P＜0.05),besides,in group B the plasma D-dimer level showed a further rise after TACE,the difference was statistically significant when compared with the pre-TACE level (P＜0.05).ROC curve analysis showed that the areas under ROC of pre-TACE and post-TACE plasma D-dimer levels used to determine the postoperative efficacy were 0.737 and 0.907 respectively.When taking 181.5 μg/L and 339.0 μg/L as the cut-off values,the sensitivity and specificity for judging the postoperative efficacy were 71.4％,70.7％ and 85.7％,87.8％,respectively.Conclusion The changes in plasma D-dimer levels have certain value in assessing PHC patient's condition as well as in evaluating the curative effect of TACE.The increase in plasma D-dimer level means that the patient's condition is serious and TACE efficacy will be poor.

Objective:To analyse the changes in color Doppler and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) blood flow parameters in patients with septic acute kidney injury (AKI) from the perspective of macroscopic circulation and microscopic circulation perfusion, in order to explore the value of clinical application of ultrasound in this disease.Methods:A total of 53 ICU-admitted patients diagnosed with septic AKI at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from January 2021 to May 2022 were selected.Patients with septic AKI were classified into stages 1-3 according to the 2012 Kidney Disease: Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) AKI diagnostic criteria, with stage 1 being the mild group(17 cases), stages 2 and 3 being the severe group(21 cases), and septic patients without AKI in the same period being the control group(15 cases). The ultrasound parameters such as the relative blood flow(RBF) and time-averaged velocity(TAV) of the renal artery as well as the cardiac output (CO) and cardiac index (CI) in the macroscopic circulation were measured, and the time-intensity curve was analysed by the CEUS analysis software to calculate the microscopic parameters such as time to peak(TTP), rise time(RT), fall half time(FHT) and mean transit time(MTT), and the cardiac output and cardiac index were also measured. The differences in ultrasound Doppler and CEUS parameters among the various groups were compared. The diagnostic effectiveness of each parameter for severe AKI was assessed using ROC curve analysis.Results:①In macrocirculation, the renal blood flow (RBF) and time-averaged velocity (TAV) gradually decreased ( P=0.004, P<0.001) as the disease progressed in AKI patients. But the difference of CO and CI among the three groups were not statistically significant in each group ( P=0.17, 0.12). ②In microcirculation, the renal interlobar artery Doppler parameters pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and systolic/diastolic flow ratio (S/D) gradually increase in patients with septic AKI ( P<0.05) and the CEUS parameters TTP, RT, FHT and MTT were prolonged ( P<0.001, P=0.003, P=0.004, P=0.009). ③The combined diagnosis of RI and TTP was more beneficial in diagnosing septic AKI in critically ill patients [AUC=0.93(0.85-1.00)]. Conclusions:Color Doppler ultrasound combined with CEUS can detect reduced macroscopic and microscopic circulation in patients with septic AKI, especially in those with severe AKI, and this is independent of changes in CO or CI.

Objective: The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of turbo spin-echo（TSE） diffusion weighted imaging（DWI） in temporal bone cholesteatoma. Method: A prospective evaluated of 76 patients with suspected sacral cholesteatoma was performed using a Philips Ingenia 3.0T superconducting magnetic resonance scanner and a 32-channel head coil with turbo spin-echo diffusion weighted imaging（TSE-DWI） sequence and conventional magnetic resonance scan, and underwent surgery within the next two weeks. The pathological result is the gold standard, and the imaging diagnosis and surgery are performed. The intraoperative observation and pathological results were compared. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of TSE-DWI sequence in the diagnosis of temporal bone cholesteatoma were calculated. Result: Of the 76 patients with suspected temporal bone cholesteatoma, TSE-DWI scan was performed, 44 cases were diagnosed as cholesteatoma and 32 cases were non-cholesteatoma. Based on the pathology results, 46 cases were diagnosed as cholesteatoma, 30 cases were non-cholesteatoma. The accuracy of TSW-DWI sequence in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma was 89.47%, 3 cases were false negative and 5 cases was false positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of TSE-DWI in the diagnosis of temporal bone cholesteatoma were 89.13%, 90.00%, 93.18%, and 84.38%, respectively. Conclusion The TSE-DWI sequence has high signal-to-noise ratio and can improve the diagnostic accuracy and specificity. TSE-DWI sequence is of great value in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:To document any improvement in the breathing control of stroke survivors with dysarthria after practicing Liuzijue qigong.Methods:A total of 157 stroke survivors with dysarthria and abnormal respiration control were randomly divided into an observation group and a control group. Both groups were given traditional breathing training and basic articulation training (including articulatory organ training and speech training). The observation group also received training in Liuzijue qigong. It requires inhaling through the nose and exhaling through the mouth while producing the speech sounds xu, he, hu, si, chui and xi. The training lasted two weeks. Both groups were then evaluated using the modified Frenchay dysarthria assessment. Maximum phonation time, maximum counting ability and volume were also recorded as secondary indexes.Results:After the 2-week intervention, significant improvement was observed in the average scores on all of the indexes, with all of the observation group′s average scores except for volume significantly better than those of the control group. The average volume scores were significantly improved, but not significantly different.Conclusion:Supplementing basic articulation training with Liuzijue qigong can improve respiratory function and the speaking ability of stroke survivors with dysarthria. It is worthy of wider clinical application.

The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic value of turbo spin-echo（TSE） diffusion weighted imaging（DWI） in temporal bone cholesteatoma. A prospective evaluated of 76 patients with suspected sacral cholesteatoma was performed using a Philips Ingenia 3.0T superconducting magnetic resonance scanner and a 32-channel head coil with turbo spin-echo diffusion weighted imaging（TSE-DWI） sequence and conventional magnetic resonance scan, and underwent surgery within the next two weeks. The pathological result is the gold standard, and the imaging diagnosis and surgery are performed. The intraoperative observation and pathological results were compared. The diagnostic accuracy, sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of TSE-DWI sequence in the diagnosis of temporal bone cholesteatoma were calculated. Of the 76 patients with suspected temporal bone cholesteatoma, TSE-DWI scan was performed, 44 cases were diagnosed as cholesteatoma and 32 cases were non-cholesteatoma. Based on the pathology results, 46 cases were diagnosed as cholesteatoma, 30 cases were non-cholesteatoma. The accuracy of TSW-DWI sequence in the diagnosis of cholesteatoma was 89.47%, 3 cases were false negative and 5 cases was false positive. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of TSE-DWI in the diagnosis of temporal bone cholesteatoma were 89.13%, 90.00%, 93.18%, and 84.38%, respectively. The TSE-DWI sequence has high signal-to-noise ratio and can improve the diagnostic accuracy and specificity. TSE-DWI sequence is of great value in clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective:Analysis of nasal lymphoma CT and MRI data, summarize imaging characteristics, provide help for clinical diagnosis. Method:Retrospectively analyzed the image manifestations of 32 cases of nasal lymphoma diagnosed by surgery and pathology. Lesion locations, tumor extension, bone destruction and its density, signal characteristics, enhancement degree, the situation of adjacent tissues were evaluated. Result:NK/T cells, T cell NHL have the characteristics: the lesions to diffuse growth, widely existed in nasal breathing zone, often involving middle and inferior turbinate, local bone slightly damaged, and no obvious bony shift. Tumor of uneven density, fuzzy boundaries, mixed signalse. The characteristics of B cell NHL: the lesion originated in the front of the nasal cavity, on the surrounding adjacent tissue compression performance, local feature is swelling growth and bone have insect damage sample sample, the dotted line change, very mild osseous shift, the tumor boundary is relatively clear, lesions density is uniform, and part of the uniform tumors had signal. Conclusion:Nasal lymphoma imaging changes have its characteristics. Image change prompts the pathological classification, providing help for clinical diagnosis.