Objective:To establish a nomogram for preoperative differentiating intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC) from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) based on clinical, ultrasound, and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) data.Methods:A retrospective analysis was conducted on ultrasound and CEUS data of 462 patients who underwent hepatectomy in Nanjing Drum Tower Hospital, the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University Medical School from January 2016 to December 2023, including 262 cases of HCC (56.7%) and 200 cases of ICC (43.3%). The data were randomly divided into training set ( n=324) and validation set ( n=138) in a 7∶3 ratio. Univariate analysis was used to initially screen for variables with statistically significant differences between HCC and ICC groups in the training set, and LASSO regression was performed to select the variables with higher coefficients. Logistic regression analyses were then used to predict independent risk factors for ICC. A nomogram was drawn using R software. The performance of the nomogram was then validated using ROC curve, calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). Results:Univariate analysis showed that there were significant differences in age, gender, liver cirrhosis, HBsAg (+ ), ALP >185 U/L, CA19-9 >27 kU/L, CA242>10 kU/L, irregular shape, border, cholangiectasis, portal vein tumor thrombus, enhanced pattern in arterial phase, clearance time <60 s, intra-tumoral vein between ICC and HCC groups (all P<0.05). The top 10 features were selected for LASSO regression analysis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that gender, cirrhosis, CA19-9>27 kU/L, CA242>10 kU/L, cholangiectasis, clearance time <60 s, intra-tumoral vein and enhanced pattern in arterial phase were risk factors for ICC (all P<0.05). The area under the ROC curve in the training and validation groups were 0.963 and 0.914, respectively. In the training group, the specificity and sensitivity of the nomogram were 0.926 and 0.917, respectively, and in the validation group, they were 0.875 and 0.871, respectively. The calibration curve showed that the prediction effect of the model was in good agreement with the actual situation. DCA showed that the nomogram could increase the net benefit to the different diagnosis of ICC in patients. Conclusions:The nomogram based on clinical, ultrasound and CEUS features has a good predictive value for preoperative identification of ICC and provides reliable evidence for clinical practice.

Objective:To evaluate the value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of solid intraductal papilloma (sIDP) of breast by comparing with fibronenoma of breast (FA).Methods:The CEUS data of 62 cases of sIDP patients and 94 cases of FA patients that confirmed by pathology in the First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University from October 2016 to January 2021 were retrospectively analyzed. The patients were divided into sIDP group and FA group according to the pathological results. The enhancement speed, enhancement degree, enhancement uniformity, whether the edge after enhancement was polished, whether the enhancement range was enlarged, whether there was a ring unenhanced area in the inner edge of the lesion and whether the inner edge of the unenhanced area was polished were observed in the two groups. SonoLiver software was used to perform offline analysis of the dynamic process of CEUS in the two groups respectively, the enhancement sequence diagram of the lesions was obtained. The pathological result was taken as the gold standard, univariate analysis was applied, and the parameters with statistical significance between the two groups were included in multivariate Logistic regression analysis to establish a differential diagnosis model. The diagnostic efficiency of sIDP was analyzed by ROC curve and diagnostic model.Results:Compared with the FA group, CEUS in the sIDP group mostly showed fast forward, high enhancement, and the enhancement sequence was mostly centrifugal. After CEUS, the lesion edges in the sIDP group were mostly accompanied by unenhanced areas and the inner edges of the unenhanced areas were not intact, and the differences between the two groups were statistically significant (all P<0.05). Binary Logistic regression showed that age, enhancement degree and enhancement order were independent risk factors for sIDP diagnosis. The ROC curve showed that the area under the ROC curve of age, enhancement degree and enhancement sequence combined for the diagnosis of sIDP was 0.874 (95% CI=0.812-0.922), the accuracy was 76.9%, the sensitivity was 67.7%, the specificity was 83.0%, the positive predictive value was 72.4%, and the negative predictive value was 79.6%. Conclusions:There are significant differences in age, enhancement degree and enhancement sequence between sIDP and FA patients. The three-parameter combination can improve the diagnostic efficiency of sIDP.

Objective:To compare and explore the diagnostic performance of adding value of transabdominal and transvaginal contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to Ovarian-Adnexal Reporting and Data System (O-RADS US) risk stratification and management system in differential diagnosis of adnexal masses.Methods:A total of 180 adnexal masses with solid components in 175 women were enrolled retrospectively between September 2021 and November 2022. All patients underwent routine Doppler ultrasound examinations and CEUS examinations. Among these masses, 107 masses underwent with transabdominal CEUS, 58 masses underwent with transvaginal CEUS, and 15 masses underwent both transvaginal and transabdominal CEUS. All patients were scheduled for surgery and pathological results served as the reference standard. Routine Doppler ultrasound and CEUS images and video were reviewed by a subspecialty radiologist using Vuebox software. The O-RADS US was downgraded or upgraded according to the CEUS characteristics of the masses. The diagnostic accuracy was assessed using ROC curve analysis. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated to compare the diagnostic performance of adding value of transabdominal and transvaginal CEUS to O-RADS US.Results:The diagnostic performance of adding transabdominal and transvaginal CEUS to O-RADS US were both significantly higher than of O-RADS US alone (transabdominal CEUS: AUC 0.83 vs 0.76, P=0.018; transvaginal CEUS: AUC 0.92 vs 0.81, P=0.013). Combination of transvaginal CEUS and O-RADS US was superior to that of combination of transabdominal and O-RADS US in the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses ( P=0.047). When the maximal diameter of adnexal masses ≤40 mm, transabdominal combined with O-RADS US presented the lowest diagnostic performance, with an AUC of 0.73. Conclusions:Combination of transvaginal CEUS and O-RADS US was superior to that of combination of transabdominal and O-RADS US in assessing adnexal masses with solid components. When the maximal diameter of adnexal masses ≤40 mm, transvaginal CEUS examination was recommended.

Objective:To explore the application value of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) combined with transvaginal ultrasound features and quantitative parameters in evaluating high-risk endometrial cancer (EC).Methods:Retrospective analysis was made on 69 EC patients who received CEUS examination and were confirmed by surgery and pathology in Beijing Shijitan Hospital, Capital Medical University from December 2017 to September 2022. According to postoperative pathology, the patients were divided into low-risk group ( n=38) and high-risk group ( n=31). The differences in CEUS, transvaginal ultrasound features and quantitative parameters between the two groups were compared, relevant parameters that with predictive value for high-risk EC were screened, and these parameters were scored. Results:①There were differences in lesion size (thick diameter, long diameter), vascular morphology, and color blood flow score between high and low risk ECs (all P<0.05). ②There were differences in CEUS parameters [perfusion mode, enhancement intensity, area under curve(AUC)] between high and low risk EC groups (all P<0.05). ③The areas under the ROC curve for diagnosing high-risk EC were 0.79, 0.69, 0.69, and 0.62, respectively, based on the critical values of lesion thickness diameter ≥1.85 cm, lesion length diameter ≥2.05 cm, ultrasound contrast quantification parameter AUC ≥859 au, and enhancement intensity ≥29.4 dB. ④Using statistically significant parameters for scoring, the sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing high-risk EC with the score ≥5, were 70.97% and 89.47%, respectively. Conclusions:The combination of CEUS and transvaginal ultrasound is a feasible method for predicting high-risk EC. CEUS parameters (enhanced intensity, AUC, and " focal" perfusion mode) are related to high-risk EC. The combination of CEUS and transvaginal ultrasound helps to pre-evaluate the pathological prognostic factors of endometrial malignant lesions before surgery, providing a basis for clinical follow-up treatment.

Objective:To evaluate the detection performance of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) in patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) by an artificial intelligence (AI) model based on yolox framework integrating left ventricular segmentation and critical point detection.Methods:From January 2019 to June 2023, a total of 4 284 echocardiographic images of 2 000 adults aged 18-80 years without segmental wall motion abnormalities, structural heart disease, cardiac surgery or cardiomyopathy were collected in Henan Provincial People′s Hospital to delineate the endocardial membrane, as a training set, an AI model based on yolox framework integrating left ventricular segmentation and critical point detection was established. The images were divided into the training set( n=1 675) and the test set( n=325) in a ratio of about 5∶1. All 228 echocardiographic images of 100 normal adult volunteers who were treated in Henan Provincial Chest Hospital from May 2020 to May 2021 were collected as external test set validation. All 792 echocardiographic images of 204 patients treated in Henan Provincial People′s Hospital from April 2019 to June 2023 were continuously enrolled to evaluate the measurement efficiency of AI model. Spearman correlation statistical method was used to analyze the consistency of AI model measurement with manual measurement and TomTec software measurement methods of 3 senior echocardiographic professionals. Subjects were divided into clear image group, unclear image group, normal LVEF group and reduced LVEF group, the differences of general data between the two groups were compared. The correlation coefficient(ICC) within the group was calculated to analyze the consistency, so as to evaluate the model performance. Results:LVEF measured by AI model was significantly correlated with both manual measurement and TomTec model measurement ( rs=0.834, 0.826; all P<0.01). ICC values of the clear image group and the unclear image group were 0.96 and 0.97, respectively. ICC values for all subjects, normal LVEF group and reduced LVEF group were 0.96, 0.90 and 0.96, respectively. Conclusions:The AI model based on yolox framework integrating left ventricular segmentation and critical point detection has good diagnostic performance in the automatic measurement of LVEF in patients with CRF.

Objective:To reveal the diurnal variation characteristics of the exercise adaptability of cardiac function in healthy men of different ages by the analysis of echocardiographic parameter changes before and after exercise intervention using the left ventricular pressure-strain loop techniques.Methods:A prospective control design was used to collect 193 healthy male volunteers from October 2022 to July 2023 in Tangdu Hospital, 101 in the young group [(26±5) years old], and 92 in the middle-aged group [(50±4) years old]. The heart rate, blood pressure and routine echocardiographic parameters were collected at rest and after exercise stress (3-minute step test) at 7∶00 a.m.and 10∶00 p.m., respectively. The heart rate, blood pressure cardiac output, and echocardiographic parameters [anteroposterior diameter of left atrium (LAD), ratio of peak early diastolic flow velocity to late diastolic peak flow velocity of mitral valve (E/A), left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), left ventricular end diastolic diameter (LVEDD), left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVEDS)] were then determined. The parameters of myocardial work including left ventricular longitudinal strain (GLS), global work index (GWI), global work efficiency (GWE), global constructive work (GCW) and global wasted work (GWW) were obtained by left ventricular pressure-strain loop technique. The differences of the parameters above between before and after step test, morning and night, young group and middle-aged group were compared.Results:The heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac output of young and middle-aged healthy men increased significantly in the morning and night step test (all P<0.05), GLS, GWI, GCW and GWW were significantly higher than those in resting state (all P<0.05), and GWE was significantly lower than that in resting state ( P<0.05). The change rates of heart rate, cardiac output, GLS, GWI and GCW in the early morning were significantly higher than those at night (all P<0.05), while the change rates of blood pressure and GWE in each group were significantly lower than those at night ( P<0.05). The change rates of heart rate, systolic blood pressure, GLS and GWI in the middle-aged group were significantly higher than those in the young group in the morning and night (all P<0.05), while the change rate of diastolic blood pressure at night was significantly higher than that in the young group ( P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in the morning ( P>0.05). Conclusions:The cardiac adaptability of healthy men has obvious circadian rhythm, characterized by being of low in the morning and high in the evening. Age mainly affects the cardiac adaptability in the morning. The response to low-intensity load stimulation increases with aging, indicating the decrease of morning cardiac adaptability.

Objective:To establish the reference value of the angle between the left ventricular inflow and outflow tract (LIOA) in normal fetuses in the second and third trimesters, and observe the correlation between fetal LIOA and gestational age, cardiac axis, cardiac size, and estimated fetal weigh (EFW).Methods:Fetal LIOA in normal fetuses with gestational age from 16 weeks to 39 + 6 weeks were obtained prospectively by two-dimensional ultrasound in the Second Xiangya Hospital from November 2022 to April 2023. Pearson′s correlation coefficient was used to analyze the correlation between fetal LIOA and gestational age, cardiac axis, cardiovascural size and EFW. Results:The LIOA range of 651 normal fetuses was (44.39±7.67)°, and it was found that LIOA was not related to gestational age. LIOA mildly positively correlated with the cardiac axis ( r=0.22, P<0.05) while not correlated with gestational age, cardiovascural size or EFW (all P>0.05). Conclusions:The range of LIOA in normal fetuses were established. Fetal LIOA is constant in the second and third trimesters and it is mildly positively correlated with the cardiac axis. Evaluating fetal LIOA may also provide information for future research on the fetal aortic hemodynamic development.

Objective:To evaluate the clinical value of four dimensional ultrasound combined with pelvic floor surface electromyography in the assessment of bladder prolapse in primipara with different delivery modes.Methods:A total of 413 primipara 6-8 weeks after full-term delivery were selected from the obstetrics clinic of the Second Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College from October 2021 to September 2023. They were divided into natural delivery group(349 cases) and cesarean section group(64 cases ). The characteristics of 4D pelvic floor ultrasound in the two groups were analyzed and summarized. Then 64 cases of primipara with pelvic floor surface electromyography were divided into bladder prolapse group (46 cases) and no bladder prolapse group(18 cases). The characteristics of four dimension ultrasound combined with pelvic floor surface electromyography in the two groups were analyzed, and the related risk factors of bladder prolapse were analyzed.Results:The bladder neck mobility and urethral rotation angle in the natural delivery group were higher than those in the cesarean section group (all P<0.05). Compared with the cesarean section group, the incidence of obvious prolapse and urethral infundibulation was higher in the natural delivery group, while the incidence of mild prolapse was lower than that in the cesarean section group (all P<0.05). Bladder neck mobility, urethral rotation angle and levator ani hiatal area in the prolapsed bladder group were higher than those in the non-prolapsed bladder group (all P<0.05). The maximum value of fast muscle stage and the mean value of slow muscle stage in the group with prolapse were lower than those in the group without prolapse (both P<0.05). Univariate Logistic regression analysis found that the risk factors for bladder prolapse were increased birth weight, natural delivery, increased bladder neck mobility, posterior bladder angle was opened, increased urethral rotation angle, increased levator ani hiatal area, decreased maximum value of fast muscle stage and decreased mean value of slow muscle stage. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis showed that increased ani hiatal area ( OR=2.216, P=0.015) and decreased maximum value of tater muscle stage ( OR=0.847, P=0.035) were risk factors for bladder prolapse. Conclusions:Pelvic floor ultrasound combine with pelvic floor surface electromyography can qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate the changes of pelvic floor muscle structure and function in postpartum women, and diagnose bladder prolapse and its degree. The increase of levator ani hiatal area and the decrease of maximum value of tater stage may be the risk factors for bladder prolapse at 6-8 weeks postpartum in primiparas.

Objective:To evaluate the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided percutaneous negative pressure suction and minimally invasive rotatory excision technique for the treatment of complex encapsulated lesions.Methods:A total of 48 patients(48 lesions) with complex encapsulated lesions who underwent ultrasound-guided percutaneous negative pressure suction and minimally invasive rotatory excision technique at Xi′an Chest Hospital from January to October 2023 were retrospectively enrolled, including 39 cases of encapsulated abscess, 7 cases of encapsulated effusion, and 2 cases of encapsulated haematoma; the distribution of the bacterial flora of the abscesses were as follows: 24 cases of tuberculous abscess, 14 cases of bacterial abscess, 1 case of bacterial combined bacterial-fungal abscess, and 7 cases of encapsulated effusion were tuberculous pleurisy, and the clinical data were analysed retrospectively. The maximum upper and lower diameters, right and left diameters, and anterior and posterior diameters of the lesions were measured by ultrasound before and after the operation. The patients′ various biochemical indicators (C-reactive protein, white blood cell count, neutrophil count, erythrocyte sedimentation rate) were detected. The intraoperative and postoperative complications, postoperative outcomes, and postoperative clinical symptoms were recorded.Results:Of the 48 patients, 39 were cured and discharged after negative pressure suction and rotatory excision technique, and 9 patients were cured and discharged after surgical incision and drainage of the lesions. The overall effective rate of negative pressure suction and rotatory excision treatment reached 81.25%, and the average number of days of tube placement was (11.81±7.22) days, and the average number of days of follow-up was (35.77±19.39) days. Compared with preoperative values, the upper and lower diameters, the left and right diameters, and the anterior and posterior diameters of the lesions were all reduced after operation [5.80 (4.95, 7.95)cm vs 8.00 (6.00, 11.82)cm, 4.00 (3.25, 5.00)cm vs 5.85 (4.52, 7.65)cm, 1.80 (1.00, 2.90)cm vs 3.40 (2.50, 6.15)cm, all P<0.01]; and postoperative C-reactive protein, white blood cell count and neutrophil count all decreased (all P<0.05). Before operation there were 31 cases of local swelling, 16 cases of pain, 12 cases of activity limitation, 12 cases of fever, 7 cases of chest tightness, and 6 cases of shortness of breath, and during postoperative follow-up, there were 4 cases of local swelling, 5 cases of pain, and 4 cases of activity limitation. The symptoms of fever, chest tightness, and shortness of breath all disappeared, and there was a statistically significant difference between preoperation and postoperation (all P<0.05). There were no adverse events or complications associated with the intraoperative and postoperative follow-up of negative pressure suction and rotatory excision treatment. Conclusions:Ultrasound-guided percutaneous negative pressure suction and invasive rotatory excision technique for the treatment of complex encapsulated lesions can significantly reduce lesion size, reduce inflammatory response and improve patient symptoms, which is a safe, effective and minimally invasive technique.

Objective:To explore the impact of transcatheter edge-to-edge repair (TEER) devices on mitral valve regurgitant flow convergence post-procedure using computational fluid dynamics(CFD), and to seek solutions for accurately measuring effective regurgitant orifice area(EROA) after TEER.Methods:Multimodal fusion was conducted based on preoperative cardiac CT images and intraoperative three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography(3DTEE) of 33 patients with mitral valve regurgitation undergoing TEER at Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University from January 2020 to August 2023. Using this data, CFD models of mitral valve regurgitation post-TEER, including with and without the TEER device, were constructed. The distance (D) from the midpoint of the mitral regurgitation orifice to the TEER device was measured. The proximal isovelocity surfice area(PISA) radius with and without the TEER device was measured, and the corresponding EROA1 and EROA2 based on this was calculated. The EROA correction factor CC=EROA2/EROA1 was calculated.Results:A total of 42 sets of CFD models with mild or greater residual mitral regurgitation, both with and without the TEER device, and 50 sets of PISA were obtained. Based on the relative position of PISA to the TEER device, four types of PISA were observed: Type 1: PISA away from the TEER device (D>R, 14 cases), with a CC of 0.93±0.07; Type 2: PISA adjacent to the TEER device (D