Objective To evaluate the usefulness of color Doppler ultrasonography in differential diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathy by depicting the intranodal vascular pattern. Methods One hundred and twenty lymph node lesions in 113 patients who underwent color Doppler flow imaging were grouped as reactive lymphadenitis ( n =25), tuberculosis ( n =14), lymphoma ( n =41), and metastasis ( n =40). The vascular patterns of hilar type, central type, peripheral type and mixed type were assessed. Results Most reactive lymph nodes( 92.0%) and lymphomatous nodes( 75.6%) showed hilar vessels,lymphomatous nodes also frequently demonstrated peripheral vessels( 75.6%).Central vessels or peripheral vessels were frequent in metastatic nodes( 60.0% and 57.5%, respectively).The intranodal vascular distribution in tuberculous nodes was simulated malignant disease. Avascularity was observed in 2 of 25 reactive lymph nodes and 1 of 14 tuberculous nodes. Conclusions Central vessels or peripheral vessels were mainly found in malignant lymphadenopathy,and the presence of hilar vessels is suggestive of benign lymphadenopathy. However, there is overlap of appearance between benign and malignant disease.

Objective To investigate the ultrasonographic manifestations of traumatic neuroma after neck dissection in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC).Methods A retrospective analysis was performed in 21 patients with 26 lesions who underwent neck dissection.The ultrasonographic characteristics were reviewed,including numbers,location,size,shape,margin,echogenicity,with or without direct continuity to the nerve fiber,the presence of internal hyperechogenicity and blood supply.Results Among the 26 lesions of 21 patients,25 lesions were in the lateral cervical area while the other one was in the central cervical area.The mean shortest diameter of the lesions was (3.5±1.0)mm and that of longest diameter was (9.1±2.9)mm.Totally 13 lesions were oval in shape and the other 13 were round.The clear margin was found in 13 lesions and fuzzy margin was observed in another 13 lesions.All the lesions were heterogeneously hypoechoic.The presence of internal hyperechoic areas were found in 16 lesions.The direct continuity with the nerve fiber was found in 20 lesions,while the other 6 lesions were not continued to the nerve directly.Color Doppler flow imaging showed that 20 of the 26 lesions existed a little blood flow signal and the other 6 lesions showed no flow signal.During the ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy (US-FNAB),21 patients complained about the intolerable serious pain and the pain relieved when the needle removed.Conclusion Traumatic neuromas are hypoecho lesions located in the operation area after neck dissection in PTC with distinctive ultrasonographic features,especially the direct continuity with the nerve fiber,as well as the clinical histories and sharp pain during US-FNAB,which can help to diagnose.

Objective To evaluate the clinical application of 3 D ultrasound in the diagnosis of bladder diseases. Methods In 21 patients with bladder disease,3 D images were studied with a Voluson 530D diagnostic system.At first,the two dimensional images of lesions were collected,then defined 3 D volumes of interest were stored,reconstructed and analyzed. Results 3 D ultrasound provided a clear stereoscopic view and depicted the appearance of the 21 bladder diseases,displayed the internal structures,and showed invasive depth within and outside the bladder wall and also metastasis of the adjacent organs. Conclusions 3 D ultrasound can clearly demonstrate the morphologic characteristics and internal structures of the bladder disease and provide much more reliable information for the diagnosis of diseases.

ObjectiveTo investigate the value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of the papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) in patients with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT).MethodsThis retrospective study used data from Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai Jiaotong University of Medicine during November 2012 to December 2013. A total of 111 small thyroid nodules (75 PTMC/36 benign nodules) with 107 HT cases which were pathologically conifrmed were included in this study. The sonographic characteristics of nodules were investigated, including nodule aspect ratio, shape, border, margin, acoustic halo, internal structure, echo level, microcalciifcations, rear acoustic attenuation, vascular pattern and extent of the blood supply and the types of thyroid tissue echogenicity. Chi-square test and Fisher′s exact probability method was used to compare the differences of the sonographic characteristics between the benign nodules and malignant nodules. With surgical pathology as the gold standard, computing the value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of PTMC with HT, including the sensitivity, speciifcity, diagnostic accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value.ResultsA total of 111 thyroid tiny nodules (75 PTMC/36 benign nodules) with 107 HT cases which were pathologically conifrmed were included in this study. The results showed 111 small thyroid nodules as solid hypoechoic. Four indexes between PTMC and benign nodules had statistical signiifcance, such as margin, microcalciifcations, vascular pattern and extent of the blood supply. The other six indexes between PTMC and benign nodules had no statistical significance, such as aspect ratio, shape, border, acoustic halo, rear acoustic attenuation and the types of thyroid tissue echogenicity. Ultrasound diagnostic accuracy of small tyroid nodules in patients with HT was 74.77% (83/111). The sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic accuracy, positive predictive value and negative predictive value of the ultrasound diagnosis of PTMC were 93.33% (70/75), 36.11% (13/36), 74.77% (83/111), 75.27% (70/93), and 72.22% (13/18), respectively.ConclusionsCompared with general population, some classic ultrasound features became less effective in patients with HT. However, ultrasonography has some differential diagnostic value in these cases.

Objective To evaluate the correlation between sonographic features of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma(PTMC) and cervical lymph node metastasis.Methods Preoperative sonographic features of 379 papillary thyroid microcarcinoma in 341 patients were retrospectively reviewed,and were divided into two groups,lymph node metastasis and lymph node non-metastasis according to pathology.Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to analyze the sonographic features relevant to lymph node metastasis.Results Univariate analysis revealed that unclear border,microcalcification and multifocal PTMC were statistically significant(all P ＜0.05).Multivariate analysis revealed that microcalcification and multifocal PTMC were statistically significant (both P ＜0.05).Conclusions Microcalcification and multifocal PTMC are closely relevant to cervical lymph node metastasis.

Objective To evaluate the efficacy and safety of mNGF to peripheral neuropathy induced by n-bexane. Methods 54 cases were treated with mNGF (18 μg i. m qd.) and the period of treatment is 56 days. 15 severe cases treated with two periods of treatment. Subjects received symptoms and signs of nerve system and activi-ties of daily living (ADL) scale were examined before and every 14 days after treated, The efficacy of mNGF was as-sessed by score increase of each index before and after treatment himself. To evaluate the safety, subjects received Is-boratory examinations before and every 28 days after treated, recorded adverse events everyday. Results During the trial, The indexes had improved remarkably in two weeks after the treatment , There were highly significant differ-ences in score increase after 4 ～ 8 weeks of treatment(P < 0. 01). It indicated that treatmented with mNGF was effec-tive. There were no severe adverse events (SAE) found among 54 trial subjects. There were no evident abnormalities in laboratory examinations before and after treatment. Pains of the injected sites are the main ADR, the incidence was 68.5% (37/54). Conclusion The results of the research indicated that mNGF clinical application could be consid-ered as safe and effective.

Objective To assess the enhancement effect of diagnostic ultrasound combined with microbubbles in the generation of endothelial nitric oxide synthase(eNOS)and nitric Oxide(NO)in endothelial cells.Methods Normal cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells(HUVEC)were divided into blank control group(A group),simple microbubble group(B group),simple ultrasound group(C group)and ultrasound combined with microbubble group(D group).According to different conditions,group D was divided into three sub-groups:different time groups(1 min,5 min,10 min);different machinery index(MI)groups(0.09,0.4,1.0),different microbubble concentration groups(5×10~8/ml,2.5×10~8/ml,1.25×10~8/ml).Cell morpha was observed in the light microscope immediately and 24 h after the intervention,respectively.RT-PCR was used to measure the relative expression of eNOS in cells.NO kit was used to measure the NO Ievels in culture medium.And statistical methods were used to analyse the experimental data.Results NO and eNOS were significantly higher in group D than the other three groups.When MI=1.0,microbubble concentration=2.5×10~8/ml,and irradiation time=10 min,the increase of eNOS and NO in group D was the most obvious.Furthermore,the cell morphology had no significant change in the light microscope immediately and 24 h after the intervention.Conclusions Ultrasound combined with microbubble can increase the generation of eNOS and NO in endothelial cells.

Objective To investigate the value of elasticity score and elasticity strain ratio (SR) in predicting the central lymph nodes metastasis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Methods This study conducted a retrospective analysis of ultrasonography ifndings of 236 thyroid lesions from 208 patients. All of them underwent surgery in Ruijin Hospital of Shanghai Jiao Tong University from June 2012 to March 2013. Totally 82 PTMC from 82 patients were included in this study. Among them 12 patients with 12 PTMC had central lymph nodes metastasis. The elasticity score and SR were compared between metastasis and non-metastasis groups, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of SR was calculated. Results The differences of PTMC elasticity score between two groups showed no statistical signiifcance (χ2=5.00, P=0.08). The average SR of the group with central lymph nodes metastasis is 2.44±0.61, which is higher than the group without lymph nodes metastasis whose average SR is 1.67±0.42. Differences are statistically signiifcant (t=5.5, P=0.00). The area under curve of SR-ROC curve was 0.847. Using 2.01 as cutoff of SR, the sensitivity, speciifcity, accuracy of predicting central lymph nodes metastasis was 83.3%, 81.4%, 78.6%respectively. Conclusion The SR but not elasticity score could be a meaningful indicator for predicting lymph nodes metastasis.

Objective To explore the pathological basic of some common characteristic of papillary microcarcinoma of thyroid in ultrasound. Methods Totally 117 thyroid papillary microcarcinomas that were completed all thyroid ultrasound examinations before the surgical excisions were collected. Shape, border, internal echogenicity, halo, posterior echogenicity and calciifcation were observed in ultrasound. While the degree of inifltration of the tumor, the tumor’s internal structure as well as calciifcation was observed in pathology. Results IIrregular shape (87.18%, 102/117), unclear border (80.34%, 94/117), hypoechoic (90.60%, 106/117) and microcalciifcations (65.81%, 77/117) were recognized by ultrasound while the main pathological features were invasive growth (93.16%, 109/117), cell components internally (46.15%, 54/117) and calciifcation (56.41%, 66/117). Of the 109 neoplasms which were invasive growth in pathology, 102 (93.58%) nodules presented irregular shape in ultrasound while 91 (77.78%) presented unclear border. All of the 8 neoplasms which were not invasive growth in pathology showed regular shape in ultrasound. Thirteen nodules showed halos in ultrasound, and 8 of them showed visible ifbrous capsule surrounding the mass. Whatever the tumor’s internal structure was, most nodules presented hypoechoic. And the hyperechoic nodules were all found cell components internally. Of the 66 neoplasms which were found calciifcation by microscope, 35 (53.03%) nodules showed calciifcation in ultrasound and 31 (46.97%) did not. And of the 51 neoplasms in which calciifcation were not found by microscope, 42 (82.35%) nodules showed calciifcation in ultrasound and 9 (17.65%%) did not. Conclusions There is no doubt that all the performances of papillary microcarcinoma in ultrasound have bases in pathology. It is helpful to the judgment of a thyroid nodule if we could understand the correlation of performances in ultrasound and pathology.