Our country has been using maturity grading method, which was proposed by Grammum in 1979, to evaluate the placental function. However, this method is subjective to consequence because it totally depends on the observation and experiences of clinicians. With the development of ultrasound technology, therefore, we reviewed more novel applications in other aspects of placenta (such as blood flow, vascularization, etc). Over the past years, scholars in the world have done a lot of research around these topics. In this review we introduce placental maturity grading with B-mode ultrasound, placental vascularization qualitative and quantitative analysis with three-dimensional Doppler ultrasound and placental volume measurement, respectively.
Female ; Humans ; Imaging, Three-Dimensional ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Placenta ; diagnostic imaging ; Pregnancy ; Ultrasonography, Prenatal

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Microvessels ; diagnostic imaging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo assess the performance of high-frequency ultrasound in evaluating articular lesions in a rat of model collagen-induced arthritis model (CIA).

METHODSSixty Wistar rats randomized into CIA group (n=50) and the control group (n=10), and in the former group, CIA was induced by immunization with collagen type II. On day 45, the ankle joint was assessed based on the arthritic index (AI) and examined with high-frequency ultrasound in all the rats. Histological evaluations of the joint were performed and the results were compared with ultrasound findings.

RESULTSIn CIA group, 62 ankles were confirmed pathologically to have synovitis with typical inflammatory cell infiltration and pannus formation. AI score-based diagnosis was confirmed in 42 ankles with a detection rate of 68% (42/62), significantly lower than the rate of 87% (54/62) with high-frequency ultrasound (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONHigh-frequency ultrasound is an ideal method for observing CIA in rats in vivo. High-frequency ultrasound can show blood flow in rheumatoid arthritis and is useful in studies of RA synovial angiogenesis.

Animals ; Arthritis, Experimental ; diagnostic imaging ; Arthritis, Rheumatoid ; Collagen Type II ; Joints ; diagnostic imaging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVETo investigate the value of transabdominal ultrasonography (TAUS) in preoperative assessment of TNM stage and tumor angiogenesis for patients with gastric carcinoma.

METHODSSixty- four patients with gastric carcinoma preoperatively underwent TAUS, in whom transabdominal color Doppler ultrasonography was used for measuring color Doppler vascularity index (CDVI) of each tumor in 37 cases and microvessel density (MVD) was evaluated by using immunohistochemical staining of surgical specimens with anti- CD34 antibody.

RESULTSThe overall accuracy rate was 56.0% for T staging of gastric carcinoma (T (1) 2/3 cases, T (2) 28.6% , T (3) 73.1% , T (4) 50.0% , respectively) by TAUS. The diagnostic accuracy rate was 63.3% for lymph node status of gastric carcinoma. The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for lymph node metastasis was 37.9% and 100% respectively. The overall accuracy for N staging of gastric carcinoma was 57.1% (N (0) 100% , N (1) 16.7% , N (2) 35.3% , respectively). The diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for determining distant metastases was 58.3% and 100% respectively. The CDVI of gastric carcinoma determined by color Doppler ultrasonography was significantly correlated to vascular invasion (P=0.0418), a linear correlation between CDVI and MVD was determined by logistic regression analysis (r=0.5628, P< 0.01).

CONCLUSIONTAUS can be a routine diagnostic approach for preoperative gastric carcinoma patients.

Abdomen ; diagnostic imaging ; Adult ; Aged ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Microvessels ; Middle Aged ; Neoplasm Staging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging ; Stomach Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color ; methods

Microvessel networks were imaged by means of synchrotron radiation CT, A sliced loading and double threshold method was utilized for extracting vessels from large quantities of data (2 GB-5 GB). Preliminary analysis on the development of tumor microvessel networks was performed by statistically analyzing volume rendering and two qualitative factors, micro vessel density (MVD) and fractal dimension(FD).
Animals ; Female ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Mice, Nude ; Microvessels ; diagnostic imaging ; Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; X-Ray Microtomography ; methods

Objective To investigate the correlation between ultrasound-guided diffuse optical tomography (US-DOT) and hypoxia-inducible factor-1Α (HIF-1Α) of breast cancer. Methods Totally 69 patients with pathologically confirmed breast cancer underwent preoperative conventional breast ultrasonography examinations and US-DOT at Peking Union Medical College Hospital From October 2007 to February 2010 were enrolled in this study.After surgery,immunohistochemical staining of HIF-1Α and CD34 were performed,and the differences of total hemoglobin concentration (THC) and microvessel density (MVD) between HIF-1Α positive and negative groups were analyzed. Results HIF-1Α was positive in 12 cases (17.4%) and negative in 57 cases (82.6%). The average THC and MVD of HIF-1Α-positive cases were (274.763±77.661) Μmol/L and (33.8±10.8)/0.2 mm(2) respectively. The average THC and MVD of HIF-1Α-negative cases were (228.059±65.760)Μmol/L and (28.4±7.4)/0.2 mm(2). MVD(t=2.049,P=0.04) and THC(t=2.167,P=0.034) of HIF-1Α-positive group were significantly higher than those of HIF-1Α-negative group. Conclusions HIF-1Α can promote tumor angiogenesis and thus increase the blood supply and THC. As an indicator of tumor blood supply,THC can indirectly reflect the angiogenic activity of breast cancer.
Breast Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; metabolism ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit ; metabolism ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Tomography, Optical ; Ultrasonography, Mammary

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the role of contrast enhanced power Doppler in evaluating tumor angiogenetic activity. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with hepatocellular carcinoma were analysed. Flow signals of hepatocellular carcinoma were observed by power Doppler imaging after the injection of contrast agent, and then the relative perfusion rate and blood flow were assessed. The microvessel density (MVD) and vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF) were assessed by immunohistochemical method. The relationship between the relative perfusion rate,blood flow, MVD,VEGF was studied. RESULTS: The relative perfusion rate in the tissues with positive expression of VEGF was significantly higher than that in the tissues with negative expression of VEGF in hepatocellular carcinoma. There was correlation between the relative perfusion rate, blood flow grade and MVD(P<0.05). The expression of VEGF was positively related to the relative perfusion rate and blood flow grade(P<0.05). CONCLUSION Contrast enhanced power Doppler is useful in evaluating the tumor angiogenetic activity.
Aged ; Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Contrast Media ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; Ultrasonography, Doppler ; methods

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relation between multi-slice spiral CT pulmonary perfusion imaging and the cavity of microvessel in lung cancer. METHODS: Altogether 36 patients with malignant nodules who underwent multi-slice spiral CT perfusion scan were examined.The perfusion parameters were collected and compared with the microvessel density (MVD), the incomplete lumen MVD, and the differentiation of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The patients were divided into a hyper-perfusion group and a hypo-perfusion group by the value of perfusion parameters. The maturity of microvessel and the degree of differentiation in NSCLC between the 2 groups was analyzed. RESULTS: Blood flow (BF), blood volume (BV), and peak enhancement image(PEI) of the malignant nodules were (39.7±11.5) mL/(100 mg.min), (8.6±3.8)mL/100 g, and (20.1±8.6)HU, respectively. There was a positive correlation between PEI and MVD(r=0.645,P<0.01), and a negative correlation between BF and MVD(r=-0.280,P=0.048). There were negative correlations of BF, BV, PEI with the incomplete lumen MVD (P<0.05). BF had the highest correlation coefficient(r=-0.882,P<0.01).The incomplete lumen MVD of the hyper-perfusion group was significantly lower than that of hypo-perfusion group (P<0.05),but there was no significant difference in MVD between the 2 groups. There were negative correlations of BF, BV,PEI with the degree of differentiation (P<0.05). BF had the highest correlation coefficient(r=-0.751,P<0.01). CONCLUSION Multi-slice spiral CT pulmonary perfusion imaging is helpful to evaluate the degree of differentiation and status of angiogenesis in lung cancer, and its basis is the cavity of microvessel.
Capillaries ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Female ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Male ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging ; Solitary Pulmonary Nodule ; blood supply ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Tomography, Spiral Computed ; methods

OBJECTIVETo investigate the correlation between power Doppler vascularity index (PDVI) and microvessel density (MVD) and evaluate the angiogenesis in high-grade gliomas and the adjacent edema in patients with glioma using intraoperative power Doppler ultrasound (PDUS) during gross total resection.

METHODSIn 25 cases of high-grade gliomas undergoing gross total tumor resections, PDUS was performed intraoperatively and the regions of interest within the tumor and the adjacent edema were analyzed with Photoshop software to measure the tumoral and peritumoral blood flow quantified as PDVI. The tumoral and adjacent MVD were determined using immunohistochemical staining for CD34. The correlation between PDVI in the gliomas and the adjacent edema and MVD in the corresponding areas were analyzed using Spearman correlation test.

RESULTSThe measurement of both PVDI and MVD revealed significant difference in vascularity between the gliomas and the adjacent edema (t=0.000, P<0.01), and PDVI was positively correlated to MVD measurement (r=0.7248 in the tumors and r=0.6608 in the adjacent edema).

CONCLUSIONSThe difference in the vascularity between the tumor and adjacent edema allows their distinction by PDUS during operation for high-grade glioma. Intraoperative PDUS provides an accurate and reliable means for measuring vascularity in the glioma and the adjacent edema tissue.

Adult ; Brain Edema ; diagnostic imaging ; etiology ; Brain Neoplasms ; blood supply ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Echocardiography, Doppler ; methods ; Female ; Glioblastoma ; blood supply ; complications ; diagnostic imaging ; Humans ; Intraoperative Period ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging

OBJECTIVETo discuss CT and MRI characteristics of hepatic angiomyolipoma based on pathological findings.

METHODSThe CT and MRI appearances with related pathohistological subtypes of 11 hepatic angiomyolipomas from 10 patients were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTTen patients with hepatic angiomyolipomas were subcategorized into lipomatous (3 cases), angiomatous (1 case), myomatous (1 case) and mixed (5 cases) subtypes. Lesions of the lipomatous type were mainly composed of adipocytes which could be easily recognized on both CT and MRI. Abnormal vessels were commonly seen in the angiomatous lesions, which showed pronounced enhancement in the early arterial phase and remained higher than or isodense with the normal parenchyma in the portal phase. The myomatous type was predominantly composed of leiomyoid cells mixed with small amount of adipocytes. The mixed type was the most frequent,evenly comprising sheets of epithelioid muscle cells admixed with islands of adipocytes and abnormal vessels, and showing homogeneously low density on plain CT and low signal intensity on T1-weighted,intermediately high signal intensity on T2-weighted MRI scans. On dynamic study with both CT and MRI, the mixed type exhibited obvious enhancement, which retained to some degree during the portal phase.

CONCLUSIONThe discrete CT and MRI appearances of hepatic angiomyolipomas with different pathological subtypes depend on the components of the tumor.

Adult ; Angiomyolipoma ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; blood supply ; pathology ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; diagnostic imaging ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed ; methods