The last 2 decades have seen considerable advances in obstetric ultrasonography, which now forms part of routine prenatal care in most countries. Congenital anomalies often occur sporadically and unpredictably. The prenatal identification of an abnormal fetus allows the opportunity for prenatal counseling with a multidisciplinary team of experts, and a thorough discussion of pregnancy options. Furthermore, prenatal diagnosis can influence antepartum and intrapartum management, and permit the planning of the mode and site of delivery, thus ensuring optimal care of the fetus and the newborn. Prenatal surgical therapy can also be offered to fetuses with simple anatomic defects that have predictably devastating developmental consequences. This review discusses controversies regarding the accuracy, limitations and the roles of ultrasound in pregnancy.
Abnormalities/*ultrasonography ; Female ; Human ; Pregnancy ; *Ultrasonography, Prenatal/standards

This article introduces the clinical requests of indigenous diagnostic imaging ultrasound devices in first-time registration application and the clinical trial requests in Technical Review Guidance of Ultrasound Imaging Diagnostic Devices (category III) Registration and puts forward some questions of the guidance's implementation. It is hoped to help concerned people.
China ; Clinical Trials as Topic ; standards ; Device Approval ; legislation & jurisprudence ; standards ; Guidelines as Topic ; Ultrasonography ; instrumentation

The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of estimating the smallest amount of abdominal free gas detectible in a large population of beagles by ultrasonography. Healthy dogs were randomly divided into three groups: group A that received 0.1 mL of air injected into the peritoneal cavity, group B that received 0.2 mL of air injected into the peritoneal cavity, and group C that received 0.5 mL of intraperitoneal air. Randomly, some dogs in each group did not receive air injection for the negative control. All ultrasonographic procedures were performed by individuals blinded to group assignments and the presence of intraperitoneal air. The minimum volume of consistently detectable air with good accuracy and reliability was 0.2 mL. Results of the study demonstrated that the enhanced peritoneal stripe sign (EPSS) can verify cases of pneumoperitoneum if more than 0.2 mL of intra-abdominal free gas is present The EPSS is a reliable and specific ultrasonographic characteristic for diagnosing pneumoperitoneum in dogs.
Animals ; Dog Diseases/*ultrasonography ; Dogs ; Female ; Male ; Pneumoperitoneum/ultrasonography/*veterinary ; Reproducibility of Results ; Species Specificity ; Ultrasonography/standards/veterinary

We aimed to determine normal reference ranges for prostate volume (PV) and annual PV change rate in a Korean nationwide screening population. Data from men who underwent a routine health check-up were collected from 13 university hospitals. The cohort comprised men aged > or =40 yr who had undergone 2 or more serial transrectal ultrasonographies. Men with initial PV>100 mL; serum PSA level>10 ng/mL; PV reduction>20% compared with initial PV, or who had history of prostate cancer or prostate surgery, were excluded. Linear regression and mixed effects regression analyses were used to predict mean PV and longitudinal change in PV over time. A total of 2,967 men formed the study cohort. Age, body mass index (BMI), and serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) level were found to be significant predictors of PV. A predicted PV table, with a 95% confidence interval (CIs), was developed after adjusting for these 3 variables. Annual PV change rate was 0.51 mL/year (95% CI, 0.47-0.55). Annual PV change rate according to age was 0.68 mL/year, 0.84 mL/year, 1.09 mL/year, and 0.50 mL/year for subjects in their 40s, 50s, 60s, and > or =70 yr, respectively. Predicted annual PV change rate differed depending on age, BMI, serum PSA level and baseline PV. From a nationwide screening database, we established age-, PSA-, and BMI-specific reference ranges for PV and annual PV change rate in Korean men. Our newly established reference ranges for PV and annual PV change rate will be valuable in interpreting PV data in Korean men.
Adult ; Aged ; Aged, 80 and over ; Aging/*pathology ; Humans ; Male ; Mass Screening/*standards ; Middle Aged ; Organ Size ; Prostate/*anatomy & histology/ultrasonography ; Reference Values ; Reproducibility of Results ; Republic of Korea ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography/*standards ; Urology/*standards

PURPOSE: The purpose was to compare the frequency of metastatic and nonmetastatic lymph nodes diagnosed by fine needle aspiration biopsy cytology (FNAC) and thyroglobulin concentration from fine needle aspiration biopsy washout fluid (FNAB-Tg) in an indeterminate range (0.2-100 ng/mL), and to evaluate the most appropriate threshold value of FNAB-Tg in an indeterminate range. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We performed ultrasound-guided FNAB and FNAB-Tg in suspicious metastatic cervical lymph nodes of papillary thyroid carcinoma and performed surgery. Ninety-five lymph nodes with indeterminate values of FNAB-Tg ranging from 0.2-100 ng/mL in ninety-two patients were included in this study. The diagnostic performances in multiple Tg levels (0.7, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 20.0, 50.0) were evaluated to compare with FNAB cytology using sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy with area under the curve (AUC) analysis. RESULTS: Forty-two were metastatic lymph nodes and fifty three were nonmetastatic lymph nodes. FNAB-Tg ranged from 0.22 to 90.9 ng/mL in metastatic lymph nodes (mean; 34.3+/-33.3 ng/mL) and 0.20 to 56.7 ng/mL in nonmetastatic lymph nodes (mean; 4.9+/-11.1 ng/mL) (p<0.001). The most excellent diagnostic performance was displayed in 5 ng/mL of FNAB-Tg with AUC of 0.76, sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, 69.0, 83.0, and 76.8, respectively. However, there was no significant difference from 10 ng/mL FNAB. CONCLUSION: We ascertained that 5 ng/mL yielded the most excellent diagnostic performance among FNAB-Tg levels in the present setting with a large series with the indeterminate range (0.2-100 ng/mL) of FNAB-Tg values. These results need additional confirmation under different laboratory conditions.
Biopsy, Fine-Needle/*methods/standards/statistics & numerical data ; Body Fluids/metabolism ; Carcinoma, Papillary/*metabolism/*secondary/ultrasonography ; Humans ; Lymph Nodes/metabolism/pathology/ultrasonography ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Retrospective Studies ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroglobulin/*metabolism ; Thyroid Neoplasms/*metabolism/*secondary/ultrasonography ; Ultrasonography, Interventional

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of an ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB) for the evaluation and treatment planning of nonpalpable thyroid lesions, including infracentimetric nodules. One hundred and twenty one patients underwent US-FNAB for 149 non-palpable solid nodules. Sixty-five patients underwent surgery, and 84 were followed up for at least 36 months. The results of the US-FNAB correlated with the pathological findings and clinical follow-up results. The nodules ranged from 0.3 to 2 cm in diameter, with a mean of 0.8cm. Among the 149 nodules, 115 were infracentimetric and 34 were centimetric or supracentimetric in size. Of the 149 thyroid nodules, US-FNAB was true positive in 43, true negative in 90, false positive in 7 and false negative in 1. In 8 cases, the lesion was inadequately sampled. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value and accuracy of the US-FNAB for the infracentimetric nodules were 96.9, 93.4, 86.1, 98.6 and 94.4%, and for the centimetric or supracentimetric nodules, were 100, 90.5, 85.7, 100 and 93.9%, respectively. There were no significant differences in the results between the infracentimetric and centimetric or supracentimetric nodules. In conclusion, an US-FNAB is a useful tool for determining the treatment plan of non-palpable solid thyroid nodules, even when less than 1 cm in diameter, and shows high sensitivity, specificity and accuracy.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Needle/*methods/standards ; Female ; Human ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Thyroid Nodule/*pathology/*ultrasonography

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy and safety of the dark-room prone-position test (DRPT) for intermittent angle closure (IAC) and to investigate the correlation between A-scan ultrasound biometric measurements and the results of DRPT. METHODS: Medical records were reviewed of 37 eyes in 24 patients who were diagnosed with IAC and received DRPT. The increase of intraocular pressure (IOP) induced by DRPT and the results from A-scan ultrasound biometric measurements were obtained. An increase in IOP of at least 8 mmHg from baseline was considered a positive result for DRPT. Associations between the increase of IOP induced by DRPT and the parameters of A-scan biometry were tested by linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The DRPT results were positive in 28 eyes of 19 patients. After DRPT, the IOP returned to near-baseline levels within 2 hours in all patients; some patients were treated with anti-glaucoma eye drops. Lens thickness was significantly correlated with the amount of IOP elevation induced by DRPT (r=0.338, p=0.041). CONCLUSIONS: DRPT is a safe and effective test in patients with IAC. DRPT can be used effectively to make a concrete diagnosis of IAC. Lens thickness appears to be associated with a positive response to DRPT.
Adult ; Aged ; *Darkness ; *Diagnostic Techniques, Ophthalmological/standards ; Female ; Glaucoma, Angle-Closure/*diagnosis ; Humans ; Male ; Middle Aged ; *Prone Position ; Ultrasonography

Ultrasound imaging is a valuable tool in the detection of breast lesions, and the breast imaging and reporting data system (BI-RADS) guides the ultrasound diagnosis of breast lesion to improve the diagnosis accuracy. The research of breast ultrasound computer-aided diagnosis (CAD) with BI-RADS-US is a hot topic now. In this paper, we reviewed the research progress of breast ultrasound CAD with BI-RADS-US, summarized the present problems, and discussed the future development.
Algorithms ; Artifacts ; Breast Neoplasms ; diagnostic imaging ; Diagnosis, Computer-Assisted ; methods ; Female ; Humans ; Information Systems ; standards ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Ultrasonography, Mammary ; methods

We carried out experiments with B-scan technology, computer image processing technology and statistical analysis, to extract feature parameters from histogram of different organizations in order to establish prediction methods of the meat quality of pigs. We then Explored and solved the assessment problems of intramuscular fat (IMF) content, to provide reference standards of using ultrasound for the classification of pork.
Adipose Tissue ; diagnostic imaging ; Animals ; Meat ; analysis ; standards ; Muscle, Skeletal ; chemistry ; diagnostic imaging ; Quality Control ; Swine ; Ultrasonography

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the retrieval rate and accuracy of ultrasound (US)-guided 14-G semi-automated core needle biopsy (CNB) for microcalcifications in the breast. MATERIALS AND METHODS: US-guided 14-G semi-automated CNB procedures and specimen radiography were performed for 33 cases of suspicious microcalcifications apparent on sonography. The accuracy of 14-G semi-automated CNB and radiology-pathology concordance were analyzed and the microcalcification characteristics between groups with successful and failed retrieval were compared. RESULTS: Thirty lesions were successfully retrieved and the microcalcification retrieval rate was 90.9% (30/33). Thirty lesions were successfully retrieved. Twenty five were finally diagnosed as malignant (10 invasive ductal carcinoma, 15 ductal carcinoma in situ [DCIS]) and five as benign. After surgery and mammographic follow-up, the 25 malignant lesions comprised 12 invasive ductal carcinoma and 13 DCIS. Three lesions in the failed retrieval group (one DCIS and two benign) were finally diagnosed as two DCIS and one benign after surgery. The accuracy of 14-G semi-automated CNB was 90.9% (30/33) because of two DCIS underestimates and one false-negative diagnosis. The discordance rate was significantly higher in the failed retrieval group than in the successful retrieval group (66.7% vs. 6.7%; p < 0.05). Punctate calcifications were significantly more common in the failed retrieval group than in the successful retrieval group (66.7% vs. 3.7%; p < 0.05). CONCLUSION: US-guided 14-G semi-automated CNB could be a useful procedure for suspicious microcalcifications in the breast those are apparent on sonography.
Adult ; Aged ; Biopsy, Large-Core Needle/*methods/standards ; Breast/*pathology ; Breast Diseases/pathology/radiography ; Breast Neoplasms/*pathology/surgery/ultrasonography ; Calcinosis/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/*pathology/ultrasonography ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating/*pathology/radiography ; Female ; Humans ; Middle Aged ; *Ultrasonography, Interventional/standards ; Young Adult