One patient with gallbladder mass had transient jaundice and was diagnosed with gallbladder carcinoma by abdominal ultrasonography， contrast-enhanced CT， MRCP， and PET-CT. Surgical exploration showed enlarged gallbladder and a mass in the neck of the gallbladder pressing against the hilum of the liver， with no manifestation of tumor invasion， and there were no signs of liver metastasis. Only cholecystectomy was performed for the patient. The pathological diagnosis was tubular adenoma of the gallbladder without carcinogenesis. This case is characterized by a large gallbladder tumor， without marginal infiltration on imaging or malignant transformation based on pathology.

Objective To evaluate the application value of artificial intelligence mixed reality(AI-MR)technology in the planning of ultrasound-guided percutaneous nephrolithotomy(PCNL)for special types of complex upper urinary stones.Methods The prospective single-center,single-arm clinical study involved 15 patients with complex upper urinary stones undergoing ultrasound-guided PCNL during Aug.2022 and May 2023,including 9 male and 6 female,3 cases of pelvic ectopic kidney stones,5 cases of horseshoe kidney stones,3 cases of renal stones combined with spinal deformity,and 4 cases of transplant kidney stones.Based on preoperative computed tomography urography(CTU)data,digital three-dimensional reconstruction was performed,and AI-MR was used to project surgery-related three-dimensional images in real space to obtain"perspective"information of the surgical area.This facilitated preoperative design and planning,including target calyx,number of channels,and auxiliary measures.The compliance of target calyx and number of channels,stone clearance rate,total operation time,time required to establish the percutaneous renal channel,decrease in hemoglobin level,surgical complications,and postoperative hospital stay were analyzed.Results All 15 patients underwent preoperative planning using AI-MR and successfully completed one-stage ultrasound-guided PCNL.Based on the preoperative planning,we utilized S-PCNL alone or combined with Needle-perc or antegrade/retrograde FURS/RIRS.Among all patients,4 underwent single-channel S-PCNL,3 multi-channel S-PCNL,and 8 S-PCNL combined with Needle-perc or FURS.The compliance of target calyx and number of channels was 86.7％,the one-stage stone clearance rate was 80.0％,the average time for establishing the channel was(2.3±0.3)minutes,the average total operation time was(61.5±12.2)minutes,the mean decrease in hemoglobin level was(9.6±1.2)g/L,and the average postoperative hospital stay was(4.6±0.5)days.There were no Clavien-Dindo grade ≥ Ⅱ complications,such as blood transfusion,organ injury,or urosepsis.Conclusion Before surgery,AI-MR can be used to quantitatively analyze imaging data for patients with special types of complex upper urinary stones,which can achieve three-dimensional fluoroscopy effects,formulate surgical plans,optimize puncture paths,effectively avoid the risk of damage to surrounding organs,reduce complications,shorten treatment cycle and improve the first-stage stone clearance rate.

Objective:To evaluate the value of time-of-flight (TOF) combined with point spread function (PSF) reconstruction for the improvement of brain PET images and lesion localization in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).Methods:A retrospective collection of brain 18F-FDG PET imaging data of 52 hospitalized patients with TLE (30 males, 22 females, age: (26.7±7.1) years) and 26 healthy volunteers (14 males, 12 females, age: ( 31.7±6.8) years) from Xuanwu Hospital between 2017 and 2019 was conducted. Images were reconstructed and divided into 4 groups based on different algorithms: ordered subset expectation maximization (OSEM), OSEM+ TOF, OSEM+ PSF, and OSEM+ TOF+ PSF. The image quality, clarity, noise, and the clarity of lesion display of all subjects were visually analyzed using a four-point scale. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR), contrast, and asymmetry index (AI) of the lesions were calculated. Differences in visual scores, SNR, contrast, and AI among the 4 groups were analyzed using one-way analysis of variance. The ROC curve was used to analyze the efficiency of PET images in localization of epileptogenic foci. Results:The visual score of OSEM+ TOF+ PSF group was the highest (4.0±0.0) among healthy volunteers; compared with OSEM group, OSEM+ TOF+ PSF group showed lower SNR (decreased by 46.6%; the lower the SNR value, the better the image quality) and contrast (increased by 29.8%). Visual assessment of PET images of patients with TLE showed that the scores of OSEM+ TOF+ PSF group , OSEM+ PSF group , OSEM+ TOF group and OSEM group were decreased in order (4.0±0.0 vs 3.4±0.5 vs 2.3±0.4 vs 1.0±0.0; F=884.0, P<0.001); SNRs of those 4 groups were increased in order ((5.2±2.4)% vs (6.2±2.4)% vs (7.9±2.6)% vs (8.9±3.5)%; F=18.82, P<0.001). The contrast and AI of the lesions in 4 groups were as follows: OSEM+ TOF+ PSF (contrast: 0.81±0.03; AI: 0.28±0.05) > OSEM+ TOF (0.74±0.05; 0.23±0.06) > OSEM+ PSF (0.72±0.06; 0.22±0.07) > OSEM (0.64±0.05; 0.19±0.06) ( F values: 107.10, 19.94, both P<0.001). MRI found unilateral hippocampal sclerosis in 32 patients, and the rest 20 patients with TLE were MRI-negative. ROC curve analysis showed that visual analysis and SUV ratio (SUVR) of lesion/contralateral ROI based on OSEM+ TOF+ PSF PET image could localize epileptogenic foci efficiently, with AUC of 0.874 in MRI-positive patients, and AUC of 0.932 in MRI-negative patients. Conclusions:The application of TOF and PSF significantly improves the quality of PET images. The combined use of both techniques yields the best results and aids in the localization of epileptogenic foci in patients with TLE.

Objective:To retrospectively analyze and summarize the clinical experience and therapeutic effect of anterograde Needle-perc combined with RIRS, namely N+ R (Needle perc + RIRS) technique in the treatment of complex calyceal diverticular stone.Methods:Retrospective analysis of 23 cases of complex renal caliceal diverticulum stones admitted to our hospital from January 2020 to December 2022. The complex factors mainly include the invisible cervical orifice of diverticulum, large stone volume, and special anatomical location, which makes single RIRS or PCNL treatment difficult or unsuccessful. There were 14 males and 9 females with an average age of (42.3±6.1) years. Three cases were upper calyceal diverticular stone, average size was (0.9±0.2)cm. Nine patients had diverticular stone in the middle posterior calyx, and the average size was (1.2±0.3)cm. The average size of four diverticular stone was (1.8±0.2)cm in the anterior middle calyx. Seven patients had diverticular stone with an average size of (1.3±0.1)cm in lower calyx. Among them, 12 patients underwent RIRS which were difficult or stone undiscovered, and 3 patients underwent PCNL and the operation was terminated due to failure of channel establishment. In our center, oblique supine lithotomy position (male) or prone split-leg position (female) was adopted, and the combined treatment of Needle-perc and RIRS was performed. Needle-perc puncture was completed under the guidance of full ultrasound. During the operation, methylene blue reagent or mutual guidance of two endoscopes was used to find the diverticulum neck and expand the outlet with holmium laser incision. Depending on the size and location of the stones, a single Needle-perc laser lithotripsy combined with stone removal in flexible ureteroscope was used, or dual lasers were be used simultaneously for stone removal under double endoscopes. The first stage stone free rate, operation time, hemoglobin decrease, complications, postoperative hospital stay and other conditions were analyzed.Results:All the 23 operations were completed successfully. The stone free rate within 48 hours and one month after surgery was 78.2% and 100.0% respectively. The average operation time was (61.5±12.2)min. The mean postoperative hospital stay was (2.8±0.6) days. The mean decrease of hemoglobin was (3.6±0.4)g/L. Three patients had fever and one patient had renal subcapsular effusion. After anti-inflammatory and symptomatic treatment, the patient was discharged. There was no incidence of Clavien-Dindo≥Ⅱcomplications such as blood transfusion, abdominal organ injury or urosepsis.Conclusions:Treatment of complex renal caliceal diverticulum stones using N+ R technique of anterograde needle-perc combined with RIRS can effectively improve the success rate of first-stage surgery. Overall, it is safe, efficient and feasible with the advantages of high stone free rate, lower damage, and few postoperative complications.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate changes in ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) in individuals with arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis (subAS), and to provide cutoff values. Methods: This retrospective study recruited 231 participants, including 67 patients with subAS. The pulse wave velocity was measured at the beginning and end of systole (PWV-BS and PWVES, respectively) using ultrafast ultrasonography to assess arterial stiffness. The right and left common carotid arteries were measured separately, and laboratory metabolic parameters were also collected. Participants were balanced between groups using propensity score matching (PSM) at a 1:1 ratio, adjusting for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio as potential confounders. Cutoff values of ufPWV for monitoring subAS were determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: PWV-ES, unlike PWV-BS, was higher in the subAS subgroup than in the subAS-free group after PSM (all P<0.05). For each 1 m/s increase in left, right, and bilateral mean PWV-ES, the risk of subAS increased by 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.46), 26% (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.52), and 38% (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.72), respectively. According to ROC analyses, predictive potential was found for left PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.910 m/s, P=0.002), right PWV-ES (cutoff value=6.615 m/s, P=0.003), and bilateral mean PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.415 m/s, P<0.001), but not for PWV-BS (all P>0.05). Conclusion PWV-ES measured using ultrafast ultrasonography was significantly higher in individuals with subAS than in those without. Specific PWV-ES cutoff values showed potential for predicting an increased risk of subAS.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate changes in ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) in individuals with arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis (subAS), and to provide cutoff values. Methods: This retrospective study recruited 231 participants, including 67 patients with subAS. The pulse wave velocity was measured at the beginning and end of systole (PWV-BS and PWVES, respectively) using ultrafast ultrasonography to assess arterial stiffness. The right and left common carotid arteries were measured separately, and laboratory metabolic parameters were also collected. Participants were balanced between groups using propensity score matching (PSM) at a 1:1 ratio, adjusting for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio as potential confounders. Cutoff values of ufPWV for monitoring subAS were determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: PWV-ES, unlike PWV-BS, was higher in the subAS subgroup than in the subAS-free group after PSM (all P<0.05). For each 1 m/s increase in left, right, and bilateral mean PWV-ES, the risk of subAS increased by 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.46), 26% (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.52), and 38% (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.72), respectively. According to ROC analyses, predictive potential was found for left PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.910 m/s, P=0.002), right PWV-ES (cutoff value=6.615 m/s, P=0.003), and bilateral mean PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.415 m/s, P<0.001), but not for PWV-BS (all P>0.05). Conclusion PWV-ES measured using ultrafast ultrasonography was significantly higher in individuals with subAS than in those without. Specific PWV-ES cutoff values showed potential for predicting an increased risk of subAS.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate changes in ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) in individuals with arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis (subAS), and to provide cutoff values. Methods: This retrospective study recruited 231 participants, including 67 patients with subAS. The pulse wave velocity was measured at the beginning and end of systole (PWV-BS and PWVES, respectively) using ultrafast ultrasonography to assess arterial stiffness. The right and left common carotid arteries were measured separately, and laboratory metabolic parameters were also collected. Participants were balanced between groups using propensity score matching (PSM) at a 1:1 ratio, adjusting for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio as potential confounders. Cutoff values of ufPWV for monitoring subAS were determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: PWV-ES, unlike PWV-BS, was higher in the subAS subgroup than in the subAS-free group after PSM (all P<0.05). For each 1 m/s increase in left, right, and bilateral mean PWV-ES, the risk of subAS increased by 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.46), 26% (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.52), and 38% (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.72), respectively. According to ROC analyses, predictive potential was found for left PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.910 m/s, P=0.002), right PWV-ES (cutoff value=6.615 m/s, P=0.003), and bilateral mean PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.415 m/s, P<0.001), but not for PWV-BS (all P>0.05). Conclusion PWV-ES measured using ultrafast ultrasonography was significantly higher in individuals with subAS than in those without. Specific PWV-ES cutoff values showed potential for predicting an increased risk of subAS.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate changes in ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) in individuals with arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis (subAS), and to provide cutoff values. Methods: This retrospective study recruited 231 participants, including 67 patients with subAS. The pulse wave velocity was measured at the beginning and end of systole (PWV-BS and PWVES, respectively) using ultrafast ultrasonography to assess arterial stiffness. The right and left common carotid arteries were measured separately, and laboratory metabolic parameters were also collected. Participants were balanced between groups using propensity score matching (PSM) at a 1:1 ratio, adjusting for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio as potential confounders. Cutoff values of ufPWV for monitoring subAS were determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: PWV-ES, unlike PWV-BS, was higher in the subAS subgroup than in the subAS-free group after PSM (all P<0.05). For each 1 m/s increase in left, right, and bilateral mean PWV-ES, the risk of subAS increased by 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.46), 26% (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.52), and 38% (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.72), respectively. According to ROC analyses, predictive potential was found for left PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.910 m/s, P=0.002), right PWV-ES (cutoff value=6.615 m/s, P=0.003), and bilateral mean PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.415 m/s, P<0.001), but not for PWV-BS (all P>0.05). Conclusion PWV-ES measured using ultrafast ultrasonography was significantly higher in individuals with subAS than in those without. Specific PWV-ES cutoff values showed potential for predicting an increased risk of subAS.

Purpose: This study aimed to evaluate changes in ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV) in individuals with arterial stiffness and subclinical atherosclerosis (subAS), and to provide cutoff values. Methods: This retrospective study recruited 231 participants, including 67 patients with subAS. The pulse wave velocity was measured at the beginning and end of systole (PWV-BS and PWVES, respectively) using ultrafast ultrasonography to assess arterial stiffness. The right and left common carotid arteries were measured separately, and laboratory metabolic parameters were also collected. Participants were balanced between groups using propensity score matching (PSM) at a 1:1 ratio, adjusting for age, sex, and waist-to-hip ratio as potential confounders. Cutoff values of ufPWV for monitoring subAS were determined via receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. Results: PWV-ES, unlike PWV-BS, was higher in the subAS subgroup than in the subAS-free group after PSM (all P<0.05). For each 1 m/s increase in left, right, and bilateral mean PWV-ES, the risk of subAS increased by 23% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.04 to 1.46), 26% (95% CI, 1.07 to 1.52), and 38% (95% CI, 1.12 to 1.72), respectively. According to ROC analyses, predictive potential was found for left PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.910 m/s, P=0.002), right PWV-ES (cutoff value=6.615 m/s, P=0.003), and bilateral mean PWV-ES (cutoff value=7.415 m/s, P<0.001), but not for PWV-BS (all P>0.05). Conclusion PWV-ES measured using ultrafast ultrasonography was significantly higher in individuals with subAS than in those without. Specific PWV-ES cutoff values showed potential for predicting an increased risk of subAS.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess carotid stiffening in a pre-hypertensive (PHT) population using ultrafast pulse wave velocity (ufPWV). Methods: This study retrospectively enrolled 626 individuals who underwent clinical interviews, serum tests, and assessments of the systolic blood pressure (SBP), diastolic blood pressure (DBP), carotid intima-media thickness (cIMT), pulse wave velocity-beginning of systole (PWV-BS), and pulse wave velocity-end of systole (PWV-ES) between January 2017 and December 2021. The patients were divided into three groups according to their blood pressure (BP)—normal BP (NBP): SBP <130 mmHg and DBP <80 mmHg (n=215); PHT: 130 mmHg≤SBP<140 mmHg and/or 80 mmHg≤DBP<90 mmHg (n=119); hypertensive (HT): SBP ≥140 mmHg and/or DBP ≥90 mmHg (n=292). Correlation analyses and comparisons were performed among the groups and in the cIMT subgroups (cIMT ≥0.050 cm and <0.050 cm). Results: cIMT and PWV-ES significantly differed among the BP groups (P<0.05). The BP groups had similar PWV-BS when cIMT <0.050 cm or cIMT ≥0.050 cm (all P>0.05). However, the NBP group had a notably lower PWV-ES than the PHT (P<0.001 and P=0.024) and HT (all P<0.001) groups in both cIMT categories, while the PWV-ES in the PHT group were not significantly lower than in the HT group (all P>0.05). Conclusion Carotid morphological and biomechanical properties in the PHT group differed from those in the NBP group. ufPWV could be used for an early evaluation of carotid stiffening linked to pre-hypertension.