Objective Comparing the enhancement of contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS) with the intensity of the blood signals of breast masses, and producing the parameter of peak intensity (PI), to determine whether they can reflect the differentiation of the benign breast masses from the malignant ones.Methods Fifty patients with the breast masses (25 benign,25 malignant) were implemented the contrastenhanced ultrasound inspection.The blood signals of the masses could be got before performing the CEUS,then the CEUS was performed.The enhancement of the masses was divided into 4 grades according to the enhancement of breast which was around the mass (no enhancement, low enhancement, equal enhancement,and high enhancement as well).The PIs of all masses and high enhanced massed were calculated by software in machine,then them were compared according to "the groups which had been classified by their maximal diameters.Results Forty-one of 50 cases showed an obvious enhancement using CEUS compared with the routine CDFI.Malignant masses were more obviously than that of benign ones ( P＜0.05).In the 50 cases,the no enhanceed ones( n = 2) and equal enhanced ones( n = 5) were benign,and 1 case of the low enhanced masses( n = 9) was malignant.The high enhanced masses ( n = 34) were malignant or benigh.About the high enhanced masses, there were statistics meanings using the parameter of PI for the masses whose maximal diameters＜2 cm( P＜0.05),and no statistics meanings when their maximal diameters≥2 cm(P＞0.05).Conclusions The CEUS of breast can improve the appreance of the tumor' s blood vessel obviously, especially for malignant masses.The PI of the breast benign masses are different from the malignant ones.Combination of them can help to discriminate benign masses from malignant ones.The parameter of PI is useless for differentially diagnosing the breast masses if their maximal diameters≥2 cm and the blood flow grade Ⅲ before CEUS.

Objective To evaluate the relationship between the grey scale ultrasonographic feature and estrogen receptor(ER),progesterone receptor(PR)or human epidermal growth factor receptor-2(HER-2)expression in infiltrating ductal cancer(IDC)of breast.Methods Seventy-three patients with IDC confirmed pathologically were involved in this study.The specimens wete examined immunohistochemistically to judge the expression of the related factors.ER,PR and HER-2 expression of the mastectomy specimens were determined with immunohistochemical staining technique.The correlation between the ultrasonographic features and ER,PR or HER-2 positive expression was analyzed. Results The ER positive rate in lesions with the spicule sign,echogenic halo or posterior shadowing were higher than in lesions without the spicule sign,echogenic halo or posterior shadowing(P＜0.01).The HER-2 positive rate in lesion with the calcifications and lymphadenectasis in axillary was higher than that in lesions without calcifications,or lymphadenectasis in axillary(P＜0.05).Conclusions A certain correlation exists between the ultrasonographic features and ER,HER-2 expression in patients with IDC.

Objective To study the roles of ethyl pyruvate ( EP ) in spinal cord edema after spinal cord injury ( SCI ) and in spinal cord astrocytic swelling after oxygen-glucose deprivation and reoxygenation ( OGD/R) in vitro in rats. Methods After SCI models were established in adult Sprague-Dawley ( SD ) rats, an intraperitoneal injection of EP was conducted to inhibit high mobility group box-1 ( HMGB1 ). Effects of EP on spinal cord edema, HMGB1 expression and astrocyte activation ( glial fibrillary acidic protein ( GFAP ) expression) in SCI rats were analyzed. Spinal cord astrocytes were cultured in post-natal SD rats and incubated under OGD/R procedure. Effects of EP on cell swelling, expression of HMGB1, aquaporin-4 ( AQP4 ) and toll-like receptor 4 ( TLR4 ) , and nuclear expression of nuclear factor-kappa B ( NF-κB ) in spinal cord astrocytes were observed. Results The water content in the spinal cord was increased significantly more at 1 d after SCI than at 12 h and 3 d ( P ＜0.05 ). Intraperitoneal injection of EP at 50 mg/kg reduced spinal cord water content, HMGB1 expression and astrocyte activation ( GFAP expression ) in SCI rats signif-icantly more than that at 25 mg/kg or 100 mg/kg ( P ＜0.05 ). The volume of spinal cord astrocytes cultured in vitro after OGD 6 h/R 24 h was significantly greater than that after OGD 6 h/R 6 h or OGD 6 h/R 12 h ( P ＜0.05 ). EP at 12 μmol/L reduced cell swelling, decreased expression of HMGB1, AQP4 and TLR4, and downgraded nuclear expression of NF-κB in spinal cord astrocytes after OGD/R significantly more than EP at 6 μmol/L( P ＜0.05). Conclusion EP may reduce early spinal cord edema after SCI, attenuate spinal cord astrocyte swelling and decrease AQP4 expression after OGD/R in vitro by inhibiting HMGB1 in rats.

Currently,medical imaging (ultrasound,mammography,CT,MRI) is of great value in diagnosis of breast lesions,and has a high sensitivity and accuracy in qualitative diagnosis.Based on medical imaging and with the rapid development,three dimensional (3D) printing and 3D reconstruction techniques can provide more information about accurate position,anatomical structures,morphology and volume of lesions and so on.And it is helpful in efficient communication with patient,making precise surgical plan,postoperative individual reconstruction and assessment of the effect after chemotherapy.The progresses of 3D reconstruction and printing techniques based on medical imaging in diagnosis of breast lesions were reviewed in this paper.