Objective To observe the ultrastructure changes of brain of the late trimester of fetal rats via transumbilical vein injection using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography.Methods The forty pregnant rats in the late trimester were divided into four experimental groups randomly.After being successfully punctured in the umbilical vein,two fetus was randomly chosen from maternal uterus with injection contrast agent SonoVue or normal saline solution(20 fetus/each group).Group A as control group with injection of normal saline solution(120 μl/kg);group B as low dose group with injection of SonoVue 0.014 mg/kg(120μl/kg,0.118 ng/ml);group C as media dose group with injection of SonoVue 0.14 mg/kg(120 μd/kg,1.18mg/ml)and group D as high dose group with injection of SonoVue 1.4 mg/kg(120 μl/kg,11.8 mg/ml).After observing the process of every contrast-enhanced ultrasonographic examination,tissue slices of brain of these fetus were made for electronmicroscope investigation.Results ①There was no enhancement in the fetus and placenta in group A.Enhancement couldn't be clearly seen in group B because of fast wash-out contrast agent.On the contrary,the fetus and placenta enhancement in turn could be seen in group C and group D.Enhancement never be seen in maternal uterus and uterine outside.②There was no significant difference of ultrastructure changes of the fetal brain tissues in group A and group B with electronmicroscope.Different degree rough endoplasmic reticulum enlargement,mitochondria swelling,endothelial cell injury,glycogen deposition and vacuolization in the brain cells were found in group C and group D,and the value of contrast between the two groups was significantly different(P＜0.05).Conclusions It is decreasd gradually effects to perform transumbilical vein contrast enhanced ultrasonography with reducing gradually dose for the late trimester of fetal rats,but enhancement has been invisible in the low dose group.

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(DCUS) and endoscopic ultrasonography (EUS) in the preoperative T staging of gastric cancer.Methods A total of 136 consecutive patients with histologically confirmed gastric carcinoma were enrolled into this study.DCUS and EUS were performed in all patients to estimate depth of invasionin (T stage) before surgery.All patients underwent surgery.The findings of the histopathologic examination of resected specimens were considered as gold standard and were retrospectively compared with the results of DCUS and EUS.Results The accuracy of DCUS and EUS in determining the T stage of gastric cancer were 80.1％ ( T165.5 ％,T2 79.5％,T386.5％,T487.5％) and 81.60％ ( T182.8％,T276.9％,T382.7％,T487.5％) respectively.There was no significant difference between two methods ( P ＞0.05) except T1 staging.Conclusions There is no significant difference between DCUS and EUS in overall T-staging of gastric cancers,but there is a significant difference between two methods in T1 staging.Either of these two methods has its advantages and disadvantages.If two methods are carried out simultaneously to make up for each other,the accuracy of preoperative T-staging of gastric cancers can be improved and this improvement can influence treatment algorithms.

ObjectiveTo quantitatively assess the texture of carotid soft plaques in patients with or without cerebral infarction using acoustic radiation force imaging(ARFI).MethodsA total of 71 patients with carotid soft plaques were divided into two groups:group A including 31 patients with cerebral infarction and group B including 40 patients without cerebral infarction.ARFI was used to measure the shear wave velocities(SWV) of each soft plaque of the two groups.The results of two groups were compared.Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curve was drawn to assess the diagnostic accuracy.ResultsThe value of SWV between two groups were significantly different ( P =0.027).The sensitivity and specificity of SWV (AUC =0.667,cut-off value =1.262 m/s) in predicting cerebral infarction was 67.7％ and 70.0％ respectively.ConclusionsThe texture of carotid soft plaques can be evaluated quantitatively using ARFI which was strongly related with cerebral infarction.

Objective To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) in diagnosis of placental increta.Methods Twenty seven suspected patients with placental increta were examined with CEUS after routine ultrasound examination.SonoVue was injected intravenously as bolus and a real time CEUS was performed.The characteristics of contrast perfusion was analysised.Results Among the three antepartum CEUS cases,two had a clear boundary between the placenta and uterine wall,there was no residual placenta after induced labor;one had a blur boundary between the local placenta and uterine wail,and the local placenta adherenced to the uterine wall tightly when cesarean section was performed after induction failure.Comparison between CEUS and uterine curettage in 20 cases,5 cases had a dear boundary between residual disease in uterine cavity and uterine wall.The boundary between residual disease in uterine cavity and uterine wall disappeared in other 15 cases.Four cases performed total and subtotal hysterectomy,the uterine myometrium of placenta affixing part were very thin (3 - 5 mm),and the boundary between the placenta and uterine wall disappeared,and placental increta was proved by intraoperative and pathology.Conclusions When the boundary between residual placenta and uterine wall disappeared and/or the local uterine wall became thin,placental increta was suggested intensively.

Objective Three parameters include circumferential strain (CS),circumferential strain rate (CSr) and stiffness parameter (β) were measured to evaluate the elasticity of carotid artery using two-dimensional(2D) strain imaging and evaluate its clinical value in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM).Methods 60 patients with T2DM were collected and divided into carotid intima-midia thickness (CIMT) thickeness group(34 cases,1.0 mm＜CIMT≤1.2 mm) and plaque group(26 case,CIMT＞ 1.2 mm).33 normal people were supplied as control group.The systolic global peak CS and CSr of the carotid artery were obtained from short-axis view of the common carotid artery and the stiffness parameters β was measured using 2D strain imaging.All the parameters were compared among the three groups.Results The CS and CSr were decreased and β was increased in patients with T2DM (P ＜ 0.01),The CS and CSr obtained from the plaque group were less than that of the CIMT thickeness group(P ＜0.05),but the β was higher than that of the CIMT thickeness group (P ＜0.01).The CS and β were correlated significantly with CIMT respectively (r =-0.79,P ＜ 0.01 ; r =0.72,P ＜ 0.01).Conclusions 2D strain imaging is a technique for early assessing the carotid artery elasticity in patients with T2DM,the thicker the CIMT is,the smaller the deformation is and the larger the β is.

Objective To explore the clinical value of double contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (DCUS) on evaluation of the chemotherapy effect in advanced gastric carcinoma. Methods A total of 21 patients with unresectable and received chemotherapy of advanced gastric carcinoma were examined using ultrasound after taking oral contrast agent and bolus injection of Sono Vue, and findings of DCUS of each patient before and after chemotherapy were compared. Results The thickness of lesions was slightly thinner than that after chemotherapy,but there was no significant difference ( P ＞0. 05). In addition, there was no significant difference in the basal intensity (BI), peak intensity (PI), arrive time (AT) and time to peak (TTP) of gastric carcinoma tissues after chemotherapy (P ＞0.05). While the enhanced intensity (EI) value of gastric carcinoma tissues after chemotherapy was significantly less than that before chemotherapy (P ＜0.05). Conclusions The EI value in gastric carcinoma tissues may be considered as a sensitive and effective index in assessing the therapeutic effect of the chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric carcinoma.

Objective To establish a quantitative measurement of flow field uniformity of mitral valve in vivo and investigate the correlation between the parameter of flow field uniformity and the degree of mitral stenosis. Methods The flow field uniformity downstream of mitral valve in normal cases and patients with mitral stenosis were studied using vector flow mapping(VFM) technique. Results The flow field uniformity parameter of standard deviation of velocity (Vsd) in patients with mitral valve stenosis was significantly higher than that in control group ( P <0. 05). There was a negative linear correlation between Vsd and effective orifice area(EOA) in patients with mitral valve stenosis (parasternal long-axis: r = - 0. 816, P = 0.000; apical four chamber: r = - 0. 825, P = 0. 000). Conclusions VFM can really reflect the flow field uniformity of normal cases and patients with mitral stenosis.

Objective To evaluate the clinical value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of hermaphroditism.Methods Ultrasonographic appearances of 45 cases with hermaphroditism were reviewed retrospectively,and the results were compared with clinical data.Results All cases were confirmed pathologically.5 cases showed true hermaphroditism (11.1％),14 cases showed male pseudohermaphroditism (31.1 ％),24 cases showed female pseudohermaphroditism (53.3 ％),2 cases showed gonadal dysgenesis(4.4％).Compared with pathological results in the ultrasound examination,4 cases showed true hermaphroditism,the coincidence rate was 80％.11 cases showed male pseudohermaphroditism,the coincidence rate was 78.6％.20 cases showed female pseudohermaphroditism,the coincidence rate was 83.3％.1 cases showed gonadal dysgenesis,the coincidence rate was 50.0％.Conclusions Ultrasonography can not only evaluate internal reproductive organs in the patients,but also estimate the site,size,morphology and structure,which provides important imaging evidence for the clinical diagnosis and treatment.

Objective To evaluate the change of elasticity of rabbit liver following portal inflow vessels occlusion using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI). Methods Twelve Japanese white big ear rabbits were used to establish total hepatic vascular exclusion animal models by occluding the portal inflow vessels. The elasticity of rabbits' right liver was detected during the stages of baseline(T0), 5 min(T1),20min(T2) ,30min (T3)after occluding the portal inflow vessels using ARFI respectively. The elasticity of rabbit liver, levels of serum's aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and historical results of hepatic tissue during different stage were compared. Results Shear wave velocity(Vs)of rabbits' right livers in T2 was significantly higher than that in T0 ( P ＜0.05) and Vs of rabbits' right livers in T3 was significantly higher than that in T2 ( P ＜0.05). No significant differences of serum's AST,ALT levels between T2 and T0 were found,while the Vs of rabbit live in T2 was slightly higher than that in T0 (P＞0.05), serum's AST, ALT levels in T3 were significantly higher than that in T2 ( P ＜0.05).Historical changes of liver ischemia and injury were observed in T2 and T3 with light microscopy. Conclusions The liver ischemia and injury severity can be accurately and objectively evaluated using ARFI.

Objective To assess the relationship between the enhanced intensity of carotid plaque and risk of cerebral infarction using contrast-enhanced ultrasonography(CEUS). Methods Eighty one patients with cerebral infarction and 95 patients without cerebral infarction were enrolled in this study. All the patients were performed using CEUS. The characteristics of plaque enhancement was categorized: grade Ⅰ , non-enhancement;grade Ⅱ , the arterial wall vasa vasorum enhancement; grade Ⅲ. the arterial wall vasa vasorum and plaque shoulder enhancement; grade Ⅳ , extensive and internal plaque enhancement. The data between the two groups was compared and analysed. Results Plaque enhancement presented with grade Ⅰ in 7 cases of 81 patients and 26 cases of 95 controls,grade Ⅱ in 14 and 37,grade Ⅲ in 26 and 17,grade Ⅳ in 34 and 15. The percentage of stroke in grade Ⅰ was 21.2% (7/33),grade Ⅱ was 27.5%(14/51), grade Ⅲ was 60.5% (26/43) and gradeⅣ　was 69.4% (34/49). The percentage of stroke in grade Ⅲ was significantly higher than that in grade Ⅰ and Ⅱ ( P = 0. 001, P = 0. 001 ), and there was no significant difference between grade Ⅲ and Ⅳ ( P = 0.370). The sensitivity and specificity for grade of plaque enhancement (AUC = 0. 721, cutoff value > grade Ⅱ ) were 74. 1 % and 66. 3% respectively. Conclusions The grade of enhancement of carotid plaques in CEUS is a valid indicator to anticipate cerebral infarction. The higher the grade of enhancement of carotid plaques,the higher the risk of cerebral infarction.