Objective To assess left ventricular systolic strain in patients with mitral valve replacement (MVR) by speckle tracking echocardiography. Methods Two-dimensional images were acquired from the apical four-chamber view, two-chamber view and long-axis of the left ventricular view in 30 MVR patients (MVR group) and 30 healthy subjects matched by age and gender(control group), and then were analysed off line to evaluate left ventricular systolic strain. The maximum systolic longitudinal strain(LS) of myocardial segments and global longitudinal strain(GLS) were measured in apical views. Left ventricular ejection fraction(LVEF) was calculated using Simpson's method. The correlation between GLS and LVEF was analyzed using Pearson's method. Results Compared with the control group, LS of corresponding segment and GLS in MVR group decreased significantly (P < 0.01), but there were no statistical differences within MVR group(P>0.05). There was a good linear positive correlation between GLS and LVEF in patients (r = 0.710, P <0.01). Conclusions Speckle tracking eehoeardiography is available for measuring left ventricular systolic strain and estimating global systolic function in patients with MVR. Bull's-eye strain map, created by speckle tracking imaging, can achieve an accurate real-time segmental wall motion analysis.

ObjectiveTo investigate the clinical value of transvaginal elastography in diagnosing cervical cancers.MethodsTotally,124 patients of cervical lesions with definite pathological results were enrolled.Elastograms were collected and the strain ratios of the benign and malignant lesions were record and compared.ROC curve was used to find the best cut-off point.ResultsElastography was useful in differentiating benign and malignant lesions by different color.Values of strain ratio of different pathological lesions were statistically different ( P ＜0.01).The mean value of strain ratio was 2.71 ± 1.56 for benign lesions and 8.32 ± 4.11 for malignant ones.The best cut-off point was 4.99 basing on the ROC curve.The sensitivity and specificity were 80.7％ and 89.6％,respectively.ConclusionsReal-time transvaginal elastography was a new way in differential diagnosing cervical cancers from benign lesions of the cervix.

Objective To investigate the clinical value of strain ratio in differential diagnosis of thyroid tumors,compared with the evaluation based on elastography scores.Methods Elastography examinations were performed in 67 patients with 92 thyroid tumors.Ultrasonic elastograms were evaluated according to the four- and five-score system respectively.Strain ratio of the tumor and the surrounding tissue was also calculated.Clinical value of the three evaluations was compared with pathological findings as the reference standard.Results The area under the curve:0.885 for the four-score,0.904 for the five-score,0.961 for the strain ratio.When a cutoff point of 3 was used,four-score and five-score showed a sensitivity of 78.0%,a specificity of 86.3%,an accuracy of 82.6% and a sensitivity of 80.5%,a specificity of 88.2%,an accuracy of 84.8%,respectively.When a cutoff point of 3.57 was introduced,the strain ratio had 92.7% sensitivity,92.2% specificity,92.4% accuracy.Conclusions Strain ratio was more helpful in diagnostic performance of thyroid tumors as a new semi-quantitative method than elastography scores.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of color M-mode Doppler echocardiography (CMM) in assessing left ventricular(LV) diastolic function after mitral valve replacement(MVR). Methods Fifty-two patients who had received the implantation for more than three months were examined by echoeardiography (MVR group). Thirty age and sex-adjusted normal volunteers served as control group. Dimensions of left atrium and ventricle,ejection fraction(EF) and mitral inflow velocity(E) were measured by two-dimensional and Doppler eehocardiography. Color M-mode Doppler flow propagation velocity(Vp) and TDl-derived diastolic mitral annular velocity(Em) were measured from the apical four-chamber and two-chamber views. Then two new indexes based on the ratio of E to Vp(E/Vp) and E to Era' (E/Em') were while E/Vp and E/Era' increased, there were significant differences(P <0.01). The correlation coefficient and atrial fibrillation(P <20.01) ,however E/Vp was lower affected hy EF or atrial fibrillation(P >0.05). dysfunction were 2.00. Conclusions CMM is an effective technique to assess LV diastolic function after MVR. E/Vp has good consistency with E/Era and may be a potential useful parameter for assessing LV diastolic function.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of tissue Doppler imaging(TDI)in assessing left ventricular(LV)function after mitral valve replacement(MVR).Methods Forty-five patients having their implantations for more than three months were examined by echocardiography and divided into atrial fibrillation group(AF group,n=21)and sinus rhythm group(SR group,n=24).Thirty normal volunteers served as control group.Left atrium and ventricle indexs of cardiac function and mitral inflow velocity(E)were measured by two dimensional and Doppler echocardiography,and TDI-derived systolic mitral annular velocity(Sm),diastolic mitral annular velocity(Em)and isovolumic relaxation time(IVRT)were measured at the septal and lateral corners of mitral annulus from the apical four-chamber view.Then E/Em ratio was calculated.Results ①Compared with control group,Sm and Em in MVR group were significantly lower and IVRT was higher(P＜0.001),however there were no significant differences between AF group and SR group.② The E/Em ratio in MVR group was significantly higher than that in control group(P＜0.001)and positively correlated with IVRT.The best cutoff value for E/Em ratio was increased of 15 which yielded the sensitivity and specificity in predicting LV diastolic dysfunction were 91.11% and 90.32%,respectively.The area under the ROC curve was 0.9548±0.0402.Conclusions TDI-defived indexes(Sm,Em)can assess LV function accurately and the E/Em ratio,an estimate of myocardial relaxation and LV filling pressures,can be used to evaluate left ventricular diastolic function after MVR.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between characteristics of cervical cancer at contrast-enhanced ultrasound and prognostic factors.Methods Thirty-five patients with pathologically confirmed cervical cancer were enrolled in this retrospective analysis.All the patients accepted contrast-enhanced ultrasound examination before the surgery.Relationships between the characters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound and the expression of ki-67 antigen(cell proliferation marker),tumor diameter,lymph node metastasis and histologic grade were studied.Results (1)Compared to the surrounding normal tissue, the cervical cancer had statistically significant differences in time to peak and peak intensity(P <0.05),the former was shortened,and the latter was increased.(2 )The ratio of perfusion defect and heterogeneous enhancement were significantly higher in tissues,including the ki-67 positive expression tissue,poorly differentiated or larger tumors (≥ 2.0 cm in diameter)(P < 0.05 ).(3 )Compared to the ki-67 negative expression group,time to peak of the ki-67 positive expression group was shorter and the peak intensity was higher,the differences were statistically significant (P < 0.05 ).(4 )The peak intensity of poorly differentiated cervical cancers was significantly higher than that of the other groups (P <0.05).Conclusions Enhancement patterns and parameters of contrast-enhanced ultrasound were associated with prognosis, which may be useful in noninvasive prediction of the patients with cervical cancers.

Objective To explore the value of virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) elastography and its influencing factors in identifying benign and malignant thyroid nodules.Methods A retrospective analysis was conducted in 210 cases of 240 thyroid nodules.Their images,including 2D ultrasound,color Doppler flow imaging (CDFI) and VTQ elastography,were reviewed,and the scanning view,the maximum diameter of the nodule,inside blood flow,calcifications and its depth beneath the skin were recorded.The value of shear wave velocity(SWV) in identifying benign and malignant thyroid nodules was calculated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve.The influences of the maximum diameter of the nodules,calcifications,internal blood flow,the depth beneath skin and scanning views as well as type of pathology on the value of SWV were analyzed using multiple linear regressions (MLR).Results The sensitivity and specificity of VTQ in differential diagnosis of benign and malignant thyroid nodules was 74.8％ and 73.4％,respectively,and the area under ROC curve was 0.799.MLR indicated that the maximum diameter of the nodule,the type of pathology and internal blood flow were correlated with the SWV value (P ＜0.05),of which,the type of pathology was the important factor (standardized coefficient was-0.312).Microcalcifications,the depth of the nodules located and the scanning surface were not significantly related to SWV value (P ＞0.05).Conclusions VTQ can quantitatively provide the information on the hardness of thyroid tissue,which is of a definite value in the differential diagnosis of the nodules.The pathology of the nodule,its internal blood flow and maximum diameter are the factors that affect the value of SWV,and not its depth,scanning views and microcalcifications.

Objective To provide valuable references for ultrasonic diagnosis of pelvic organ prolapsed (POP) by finding an eas ily detecting referential line based on MRI.Methods Data of 107 patients who underwent pelvic MRI were retrospectively analyzed.All the patients were divided into 6 groups according to age:Group 1 (20 29 years old),group 2 (30-39 years old),group 3 (40-49 years old),group 4 (50-59 years old),group 5 (60-69 years old) and group 6 (≥70 years old group).Four reference lines were set basing on the median sagittal view of T2WI:PS-PS line (the line connecting the two endpoint of the pubic symphysis),PIAS line (the line connecting the inferior margin of pubic symphysis and the bottom of sphincter internal anal sphincter),PPC line (the line connecting of the inferior margin of pubic symphysis and the point of the pubococcygeous attached on the rectum) and PM line (the line connecting of the inferior margin of pubic symphysis and the M point [the midpoint of the line from the crosspoint of PPC line and the front wall of the rectum mucosa to the bottom of sphincter internal anal sphincter]).The angles between the horizontal line and PS-PS line,PIAS line,PM line,PPC line (angle 1,angle 2,angle 3,angle 4) were measured,respectively.The differences of the angle among various age-groups were compared.The consistency between the two observes were evaluated.Results PM line was the closest line to the horizontal line.There was no statistical differences of angle 1,angle 2 and angle 3 among the 6 groups (all P＞0.05).The difference of angle 4 among the 6 groups were significant (F=3.42,P=0.01).Intergroup pairwise comparisons showed that significant differences were found between group 1 and group 4,group 5,group 6,between group 2 and group 4,group 5,group 6,between group 3 and group 4,group 5,group 6,respectively (all P＜0.05).And no significant difference was found in the other comparisons.The consistency of the two observers in meaning angle 1,angle 3 and angle 4 were good,but the consistency of angle 2 was poor.Conclusion Of all the referential lines,PM is the closest to the horizontal line and is less influenced by the patient's age.However,the feasibility of using PM lines as the ultrasound referential line is still unclear.

Objective To investigate variant types and the image features of MRA of intracranial branch of vertebral artery so that to improve the ability in understanding and diagnosing pons and medulla oblongata diseases.Methods Twenty one cases with the intracranial branch of anomaly vertebral artery were comfirmed by MRA.The anomaly types and MRA features,as well as the clincal symptoms were retrospeetively analyzed.Results MRA features of the intracranial branch of vertebral artery in one sides were as follows:Hypoplasia(n=7),Obliteration of some paragraphes(n=2),Sclerosis or increased tortuous and dilatation(n=9);brain stem compressed by the sclerotic vessel (n=3),angioma(n=3).All paticnts had dysfunction of cranionerves of brain stem in different degree and form.Conclusion MRA was a ideal and no tranmatic method to show the anomaly of the intracranial branch of vertebral artery

Objective To explore the correlation between quantitative parameters of blood perfusion with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) and microvessel density (MVD),microvessel area (MVA) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).And to investigate the value of CEUS in evaluating the angiogenesis in PTC before operation.Methods Totally 69 cases of patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma were selected from April 2014 to October 2016 in the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University.The CEUS characteristics of 69 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma confirmed by pathology were retrospectively analyzed.The patients were divided into three groups according to maximum diameter of lesions (＜ 1 cm group,1-2 cm group and ＞ 2.0 cm group),and two groups according to pathologic reports (neck lymph node metastatic and nonmetastatic groups).The blood perfusion parameters between or among different groups were evaluated by ttest or one-way ANOVA.Immunohistochemical staining were performed to evaluate the MVD,MVA in the surgical specimens,and the correlation of quantitative parameters with MVD,MVA were assessed by Spearman.Results (1) Peak Intensity (Peak),area under the curve (AUC),MVD and MVA of thyroid carcinoma were lower than the surrounding normal thyroid tissue (14.95 ± 4.96 vs 22.67±6.11,970.01±263.20 vs 1798.35±563.67,118.91±31.32 vs 206.27±39.58,8.58±-2.68 vs 18.47±3.13),and the differences were statistically significant (t=-8.700,-11.061,-14.377 and-20.532,all P ＜ 0.05).(2)With the increase of the lesion's maximum diameter,Peak,AUC,MVD and MVA increased,and the differences were statistically significant (t=0.000,0.000,0.000,0.000;t=0.027,0.044,0.033,0.000;t=0.027,0.044,0.033,0.000,all P ＜ 0.05).(3) Papillary thyroid carcinoma with lymphatic involvement had significantly higher values of Peak,AUC,MVD and MVA than those without lymphatic involvement (16.86±4.36 vs 13.80±3.55,1128.16±290.85 vs 874.39±192.27,114.12±30.69 vs 103.67±22.19,10.30 ± 2.44 vs 7.54 ± 2.29),and the differences were statistically significant (t=3.177,4.366,6.336 and 4.742,all P ＜ 0.05).(4) A positive correlation existed between the Peak,AUC and MVD,and the differences were statistically significant (r=0.506,0.478,all P ＜0.05).Peak,AUC and MVA showed positive correlation,and the differences were statistically significant (r=0.648,0.653,all P ＜ 0.05).TP,MTT and MVD,MVA showed no correlations (all P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions The values of Peak and AUC calculated from CEUS were correlated to MVD and MVA.CEUS may be used to evaluated the angiogenesis of PTC before operation.And CEUS is helpful for prediction of prognosis of PTC.