Hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC） often has an insidious onset， and early diagnosis and accurate differential diagnosis are critical for improving the prognosis of patients. Ultrasound remains an important radiological examination for the screening and initial assessment of high-risk populations due to its advantages of convenience， real-time monitoring， repeatability， and suitability for dynamic follow-up. With the development of ultrasound technologies in recent years， the application of ultrasound in HCC has gradually expanded from lesion detection to lesion characterization， differential diagnosis， and prognostic evaluation. With reference to the clinical needs for the early and differential diagnosis of HCC， this article reviews the application value， clinical localization， and limitations of gray-scale ultrasound， Doppler ultrasound， and contrast-enhanced ultrasound in HCC， with a focus on their application in the evaluation and differential diagnosis of small HCC. It highlights that comprehensive evaluation should be performed based on liver background， lesion morphology， blood flow features， enhancement patterns， and dynamic changes during follow-up， so as to improve the early and differential diagnosis of HCC.

The rapid development of generative large language models(GLLM)has attracted considerable attention in research of imaging medicine,which showed promise in terms of potential applications in ultrasound medicine.At present,GLLM possessed the theoretical level of a medical practitioner and had the capacity to enhance productivity through generating reliable,structured ultrasound reports and assisted diagnoses,hence being significant valuable for reducing time costs and improving effectiveness of physician-patient communication.The research status of GLLM in ultrasound medical knowledge quizzes,structured ultrasound report generation,as well as diagnosis and management of disease were reviewed in this article.

Purpose To construct a nomogram model based on conventional ultrasound(US)and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)features for predicting extrathyroidal extension(ETE)of papillary thyroid carcinoma,and to evaluate its diagnostic performance.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical and ultrasound data from 715 papillary thyroid carcinoma patients in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 was conducted.The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of ETE.Univariate and Multivariate analyses was performed to identify independent risk factors associated with ETE.Three models were established:clinical,clinical+US and clinical+US+CEUS.The nomogram of the best model was constructed and validated.Results The model based on clinical+US+CEUS features performed the best,the area under the curve was 0.885.Multivariate analysis indicated that older age(OR=1.029,95%CI 1.011-1.047),higher body mass index(OR=1.108,95%CI 1.049-1.171),capsular contact<25%(OR=4.716,95%CI 2.079-10.701),capsular contact 25%-50%(OR=21.320,95%CI 8.240-55.160),capsular contact>50%(OR=24.045,95%CI 6.792-85.126),nodules adjacent to the lateral side(OR=4.265,95%CI 1.366-13.318),nodules adjacent to the medial side(OR=6.416,95%CI 2.067-19.920)and interrupted capsular enhancement(OR=6.044,95%CI 3.588-10.180)were independent risk factors for ETE(all P<0.05).Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve indicated high net benefit and strong clinical utility of the model.Ten-fold cross-validation showed good model stability.Conclusion The nomogram model constructed based on US and CEUS features demonstrates good predictive performance and holds significant clinical utility.

Objective:To investigate the value of MULTI-parametric MR imaging with flexible design (MTP) combined with microview diffusion weighted imaging (DWI) in predicting pituitary tumor invasion of cavernous sinus.Methods:This was a cross-sectional study. The clinicopathological and imaging data of 59 patients with suspected pituitary tumor who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University from December 2021 to August 2024 were prospectively analyzed. According to Knosp classification, patients with pituitary tumor were divided into non-invasive group (28 cases) and invasive group (31 cases). All patients underwent MTP and microview DWI sequence scanning, and the corresponding parameter values [T 1, R 2*, T 2* and apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC)] were measured on the MTP quantitative map and ADC map at the maximum diameter level of the pituitary tumor. Independent sample t test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to compare the clinical data, quantitative parameter values and proliferation index (Ki-67) between the non-invasive group and the invasive group. Quantitative parameter values with statistically significant differences were jointly included in logistic regression to construct the model. Receiver characteristic curve and area under the curve (AUC) were used to analyze single variables and logistic model in predicting the value invasion of pituitary tumor cavernous sinus invasion. Spearman correlation was used to analyze the correlation between the quantitative values and Ki-67 level. Results:There was no significant difference in age and gender between the non-invasive group and the invasive group ( P>0.05). T 1 and T 2* values in invasion group were higher than those in non-invasion group ( Z=4.42, P<0.001; Z=3.43, P<0.001), R 2* values and ADC values in the invasion group were lower than those in the non-invasion group, and the difference was statistically significant (t=4.07, P<0.001; Z=-3.07, P=0.002). The AUC values of T 1, R 2*, T 2*, ADC, logistic model 1(T 1+R 2*+ADC) and logistic model 2(T 1+T 2*+ADC) for predicting pituitary tumor cavernous sinus invasion were 0.835, 0.767, 0.760, 0.733, 0.926 and 0.925, respectively. Correlation analysis showed that the value of pituitary tumor T 1 was positively correlated with Ki-67 ( r=0.431, P=0.002). Conclusion:Quantitative parameters of MTP sequence and microview DWI sequence can quantitatively evaluate pituitary tumor invasion of cavernous sinus, and the combination of the two sequences can significantly improve the prediction efficiency.

Purpose To evaluate the long-term efficacy of radiofrequency ablation(RFA)for T1N0M0 papillary thyroid carcinoma(PTC)with rich blood supply and poor blood supply.Materials and Methods Clinical data,ultrasound and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)images,RFA parameters,and postoperative follow-up indicators of 375 T1N0M0 PTC patients who received RFA from June 2014 to December 2018 were retrospectively collected.The propensity score matching method was used to match the baseline data of the two groups in a 1:1 ratio,finally a total of 212 patients were included in the study.The RFA parameters,volume,tumor disappearance,and local tumor progression(LTP)were compared between the groups.Besides,the correlation between rich blood supply and LTP was analyzed using multivariate COX regression.Results According to the peak intensity displayed by preoperative CEUS,all lesions were divided into a group with rich blood supply(n=129)and another with poor blood supply(n=246).After a mean follow-up time of(84.48±14.44)months,the tumor disappearance in the rich blood supply group was 87.74%,while in the poor blood supply group it was 88.68%,and there was no statistically significant difference(Z=0.05,P=0.831).There were 10 cases of LTP in the rich blood supply group(6 cases of residual cancer and 4 cases of new cancer),and 6 cases of LTP in the poor blood supply group(2 cases of residual cancer and 4 cases of new cancer).The LTP rates of the two groups were 9.43%and 5.67%,with no statistically significant difference(x2=1.08,P=0.298).The Kaplan-Meier survival curve showed no statistically significant difference in progression free survival between both groups(P=0.265).The adjusted multivariate COX proportional risk model analysis showed that rich blood supply was no association with LTP(HR=1.54,P=0.409).Conclusion RFA for T1N0M0 PTC with rich blood supply can achieve effective ablation,and its long-term efficacy is similar to that of poor blood supply.RFA can serve as an effective alternative treatment for T1N0M0 PTC patients with different blood supply.

Purpose To construct a nomogram model based on conventional ultrasound(US)and contrast-enhanced ultrasound(CEUS)features for predicting extrathyroidal extension(ETE)of papillary thyroid carcinoma,and to evaluate its diagnostic performance.Materials and Methods A retrospective analysis of clinical and ultrasound data from 715 papillary thyroid carcinoma patients in the First Medical Center of Chinese PLA General Hospital from January 2017 to December 2022 was conducted.The patients were divided into two groups based on the presence or absence of ETE.Univariate and Multivariate analyses was performed to identify independent risk factors associated with ETE.Three models were established:clinical,clinical+US and clinical+US+CEUS.The nomogram of the best model was constructed and validated.Results The model based on clinical+US+CEUS features performed the best,the area under the curve was 0.885.Multivariate analysis indicated that older age(OR=1.029,95%CI 1.011-1.047),higher body mass index(OR=1.108,95%CI 1.049-1.171),capsular contact<25%(OR=4.716,95%CI 2.079-10.701),capsular contact 25%-50%(OR=21.320,95%CI 8.240-55.160),capsular contact>50%(OR=24.045,95%CI 6.792-85.126),nodules adjacent to the lateral side(OR=4.265,95%CI 1.366-13.318),nodules adjacent to the medial side(OR=6.416,95%CI 2.067-19.920)and interrupted capsular enhancement(OR=6.044,95%CI 3.588-10.180)were independent risk factors for ETE(all P<0.05).Decision curve analysis and clinical impact curve indicated high net benefit and strong clinical utility of the model.Ten-fold cross-validation showed good model stability.Conclusion The nomogram model constructed based on US and CEUS features demonstrates good predictive performance and holds significant clinical utility.

Advances in contrast-enhanced ultrasound have provided advantages in assessing blood flow dynamics,vascular structure and tissue perfusion in liver diseases,making it a first-line imaging method for the diagnosis of liver disease.High frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound(HiFR-CEUS)is clinically important for the diagnosis of rapidly enhancing liver lesions by increasing the frame rate,which can more accurately capture rapid dynamic blood flow processes.Based on multicenter clinical experience and research reports,an expert consensus on the clinical application of HiFR-CEUS of the liver has been formulated,which summarizes the indications for HiFR-CEUS of liver,diagnostic procedures and report writing specifications from a practical clinical perspective,with the aim of promoting the standardization of the clinical application of HiFR-CEUS of liver diseases.

Advances in contrast-enhanced ultrasound have provided advantages in assessing blood flow dynamics,vascular structure and tissue perfusion in gallbladder disease,making it a first-line imaging method for the diagnosis of gallbladder disease.High frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound(HiFR-CEUS)can more accurately capture the rapid dynamic blood flow process by increasing the frame rate,which is clinically important for the diagnosis of rapidly enhancing gallbladder lesions.Based on the experience and research reports of multi-center clinical applications,an expert consensus on the clinical application of HiFR-CEUS of the gallbladder has been established.This expert consensus summaries the indications,diagnostic procedures and report writing specifications for HiFR-CEUS of the gallbladder.It aims to promote the standardized clinical application of HiFR-CEUS in gallbladder diseases.

Advances in contrast-enhanced ultrasound have provided advantages in assessing blood flow dynamics,vascular structure and tissue perfusion in liver diseases,making it a first-line imaging method for the diagnosis of liver disease.High frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound(HiFR-CEUS)is clinically important for the diagnosis of rapidly enhancing liver lesions by increasing the frame rate,which can more accurately capture rapid dynamic blood flow processes.Based on multicenter clinical experience and research reports,an expert consensus on the clinical application of HiFR-CEUS of the liver has been formulated,which summarizes the indications for HiFR-CEUS of liver,diagnostic procedures and report writing specifications from a practical clinical perspective,with the aim of promoting the standardization of the clinical application of HiFR-CEUS of liver diseases.

Advances in contrast-enhanced ultrasound have provided advantages in assessing blood flow dynamics,vascular structure and tissue perfusion in gallbladder disease,making it a first-line imaging method for the diagnosis of gallbladder disease.High frame rate contrast-enhanced ultrasound(HiFR-CEUS)can more accurately capture the rapid dynamic blood flow process by increasing the frame rate,which is clinically important for the diagnosis of rapidly enhancing gallbladder lesions.Based on the experience and research reports of multi-center clinical applications,an expert consensus on the clinical application of HiFR-CEUS of the gallbladder has been established.This expert consensus summaries the indications,diagnostic procedures and report writing specifications for HiFR-CEUS of the gallbladder.It aims to promote the standardized clinical application of HiFR-CEUS in gallbladder diseases.