1.Value of multiparametric ultrasonography in the diagnosis of mucosal healing in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease
Ya PENG ; Hongjuan OUYANG ; Meizheng ZHAN ; Xiangnan OUYANG ; Peilan LI ; Jinqiao LIU
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(2):161-166
Objective:To explore the value of multiparametric ultrasonography,including grayscale ultrasound(US),color Doppler flow imaging(CDFI),and real-time shear wave elastography(SWE)in diagnosing mucosal healing(MH)in pediatric patients with Crohn's disease.Methods:This prospective study consecutively enrolled pediatric CD patients who underwent endoscopic examinations at Hunan Children's Hospital from January 2024 to August 2024. Based on the Simplified Endoscopic Score for Crohn's Disease(SES-CD),all intestinal segments were divided into two groups:the MH group and the non-mucosal healing(NMH)group. Differences in bowel wall thickness(BWT),bowel wall stratification,color Doppler grading,SWE values,and increased thickness of mesenteric fat were compared between the two groups. ROC curves were plotted to evaluate the diagnostic performance of each ultrasound parameter. Multivariate Logistic regression analysis was used to identify independent predictors of MH,and a regression model was developed based on these factors.Results:A total of 234 intestinal segments from 60 pediatric CD patients were included in the analysis,divided into the MH group(101 segments)and the NMH group(133 segments).There were significant differences between the MH and NMH groups in terms of BWT,bowel wall stratification,color Doppler grading,SWE values,and increased thickness of mesenteric fat(all P<0.05). The multivariate Logistic regression analysis identified BWT,color Doppler grading,and SWE values as independent predictors associated with MH(all P<0.05).The area under the ROC curve was 0.906(95% CI = 0.867 - 0.945, P<0.05),with a sensitivity of 0.865 and specificity of 0.851. Conclusions:Multiparametric ultrasonography can effectively assess MH in pediatric CD patients,providing critical information for accurate clinical evaluation of disease status and treatment outcomes.
2.Comparative analysis of the correlation between different intestinal ultrasound score and endoscopic disease activity in Crohn's disease
Shijie SUN ; Meizheng DANG ; Jia LI ; Dantong ZHAO ; Yameng ZHENG ; Piyu LI ; Pintong HUANG
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(2):167-172
Objective:To verify and compare the correlation and diagnostic efficacy of international bowel ultrasound segmental activity score(IBUS-SAS),bowel ultrasound score(BUSS),simple ultrasound score for Crohn's disease(SUS-CD),and simple ultrasound score(Simple-US)with endoscopic disease activity in Crohn's disease(CD)patients. To provide external validation of the diagnostic efficacy of intestinal ultrasound(IUS)score and theoretical basis for clinical selection of optimal IUS score.Methods:A total of 160 patients with clinical diagnosis of CD combined with IUS and intestinal endoscopy were retrospectively analyzed in the Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 2022 to August 2024. IUS parameters were measured and scored with IBUS-SAS,SUS-CD,BUSS and Simple-US scores. Endoscopic SES-CD was used to evaluate intestinal disease activity in patients without history of intestinal resection,and Rutgeerts score was used to evaluate intestinal disease activity in patients with history of intestinal resection. Endoscopic remission in patients with CD was defined as SES-CD < 3 or Rutgeerts score i0 and i1,mild endoscopic disease activity was defined as 7 > SES-CD≥3 or Rutgeerts score = 2,moderate endoscopic disease activity was defined as 15 > SES-CD≥7 or Rutgeerts score i3,severe endoscopic disease activity was defined as SES-CD≥15 or Rutgeerts i4. The correlation and diagnostic efficacy of IBUS-SAS,SUS-CD,BUSS and Simple-US scores with endoscopic disease activity in patients with CD were compared and analyzed.Results:IUS scores including IBUS-SAS,SUS-CD,BUSS and Simple-US were significantly correlated with endoscopic intestinal disease activity,SES-CD and Rutgeerts scores in CD patients( r s = 0.706,0.492,0.502,0.526;0.825,0.581,0.584,0.603;0.541,0.434,0.437,0.467;all P<0.05). Among them,IBUS-SAS showed better correlation than the other three IUS scores. ROC curve showed that IBUS-SAS,SUS-CD,BUSS,and Simple-US had high predictive values for endoscopic disease activity and endoscopic disease moderate-severe activity in patients with CD(AUC = 0.886,0.748,0.730,0.756;all P<0.05). The diagnostic efficacy of IBUS-SAS on the presence of endoscopic disease activity in patients with CD was significantly higher than those of the other three IUS scores . Conclusions:IBUS-SAS,SUS-CD,BUSS and Simple-US are significantly correlated with the endoscopic results of on intestinal disease activity of CD,and have high predictive values for intestinal disease activity status,among which IBUS-SAS is superior to the other three IUS scores. It is recommended that IBUS-SAS be used first to evaluate intestinal disease activity in patients with CD.
3.Research progress of novel three-dimensional echocardiographic rendering tools in structural heart disease
Alimu TEZHI ; Yuman LI ; Lin HE ; He LI ; Wenqian WU ; Yun YANG ; Huan WANG ; Mingxing XIE ; Lingyun FANG
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(2):173-179
Recently developed three-dimensional echocardiography rendering technology,which includes transillumination imaging and tissue transparency imaging,is based on powerful artificial intelligence algorithm and employs unique visualization methods. This novel technology enables intuitive and realistic visualization of the heart's three-dimensional structure and blood flow images,providing richer and more accurate imaging information for evaluating cardiac anatomy and function. They demonstrate unique value in the diagnosis and treatment of structural heart diseases. This article reviews the applications and prospects of three-dimensional echocardiographic rendering techniques in structural heart disease.
4.Research progress in placental microvascular imaging technology
Hairui WANG ; Jiancheng HAN ; Yihua HE
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(2):180-184
The placenta is a regulator of maternal-fetal circulation,regulating nutrient and waste exchange,endocrine function,and immune response. The placental vascular structure is the basis of the placental exchange function and the key to maternal-fetal circulation. Placental vascular changes may affect fetal growth and cardiovascular development,and even the origin of postnatal health and disease. The placenta is crucial in fetal growth and development and future health,but our understanding of placental vascular structure is still insufficient. This article reviews the imaging methods and progress of placental imaging,focusing on the placental microvascular imaging technology,which aims to provide a method reference for prenatal evaluation and monitoring of placental vascular structure by realizing the visualization of placental vascular structure. Based on this new technology,it is expected to provide new ideas for the study of the hemodynamic mechanisms of fetal growth and cardiovascular development in the future.
5.Study of echocardiographic normal reference value of left ventricular remodeling index and left ventricular geometry and function in primary hypertension
Lihua YANG ; Yan DENG ; Yuping LIU ; Ping SHUAI ; Lixue YIN
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(3):185-193
Objective:To establish the normal reference value of the left ventricular remodeling index(RI)in healthy adults,and to evaluate the phenotypes of RI in various left ventricular geometries and its relationship with left ventricular systolic and diastolic functions in asymptomatic hypertensive patients.Methods:A retrospective study design was employed,906 healthy Han Chinese volunteers were selected as the control group from the multicenter study "Echocardiographic Measurements in Normal Chinese Adults"(EMINCA),which was conducted in 2012. The normal reference range of left ventricular RI was established based on the 95% CI( xˉ ± 1.96 s). Statistical analyses were conducted to evaluate differences in RI across age groups and between genders. A total of 340 asymptomatic hypertensive patients in the Department of Health Management,Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital from July 2023 to March 2024 were prospectively included as the hypertension group. Conventional echocardiography and two-dimensional speckle tracking imaging were used to assess left ventricular structure and function. Parameters such as left ventricular mass index(LVMI),RI,relative wall thickness(RWT),the ratio of early diastolic mitral inflow velocity to the average early diastolic mitral annular velocity(E/e'),and the ratio of early diastolic to late diastolic mitral inflow velocities(E/A)were calculated. Differences of these parameters between the hypertension group and the healthy control group were compared. The hypertension group was stratified into 3 subgroups based on left ventricular posterior wall thickness at end-diastole(LVPWd)and RI:the non-LV hypertrophy group,the left ventricular hypertrophy with normal RI group,and the left ventricular hypertrophy with low RI group. Relevant parameters were compared among these subgroups,and the statistical significance of the differences was analyzed. Pearson correlation analysis and multiple linear regression analysis were performed to explore the relationships between left ventricular RI and GLS,LVEF,the average mitral annular peak systolic velocity(s'),e',E/e',E/A. Results:In the healthy control group,RI showed a declining trend with increasing age in both sexes. Furthermore,the RI was significantly higher in the female group compared to the male group( P<0.001). Compared with the healthy control group,LVMI and E/e' increased while RI,e' and s' decreased in the hypertension group(all P < 0.001). Among the 3 subgroups of the hypertension group,compared with the other two groups,LVMI and E/e' increased while absolute GLS and s' reduced in the left ventricular hypertrophy with low RI subgroup(all P <0.001). Pearson correlation analysis revealed that RI was negatively correlated with GLS and E/e'( r=-0.457,-0.281;all P < 0.001),and positively correlated with LVEF,e',s' and E/A( r=0.229,0.394,0.150,0.172;all P < 0.05). Multivariate linear regression analysis demonstrated that left ventricular RI was independently associated with GLS,LVEF,e',s',E/e' and E/A. Conclusions:The normal reference range of left ventricular RI tends to decrease with age and is typically higher in females than in males. In asymptomatic patients with primary hypertension,RI,systolic and diastolic functions of the left ventricular are lower,while LVMI is higher. Among these patients,functional impairment is more pronounced in patients with left ventricular hypertrophy and reduced RI. This indicates that left ventricular RI may offer an imaging basis for further classification and stratification of structural and functional abnormalities in the left ventricle of asymptomatic hypertensive patients.
6.Left ventricular outflow tract vegetation with accessory mitral valve diagnosed by transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography:a case report
Yingang CAI ; Haiyan FENG ; Linlin WANG ; Yan YAN ; Lina SUN
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(1):52-55
Accessory mitral valve(AMV)refers to the additional valvular structural components connected to the normal mitral valve. It is a rare congenital cardiovascular malformation with an incidence of approximately 1/26 000. Most patients have no obvious symptoms and are often accidentally detected during echocardiography due to the presence of other associated cardiac malformations. The combination of AMV with left ventricular outflow tract(LVOT)vegetations is extremely rare and may be related to infective endocarditis. In this case,a 48-year-old male patient was discovered to have a "cardiac mass" during treatment for a cerebral infarction at an external hospital and was admitted to China-Japan Union Hospital of Jilin University for further diagnosis and treatment. Over the past 3 months,the patient experienced intermittent fever,accompanied by chest tightness and pain during physical exertion. The patient had a history of gout and diabetes. Transthoracic echocardiography(TTE)and transesophageal echocardiography revealed left ventricular outflow tract obstruction,accessory mitral valve(membranous fixed type),and a space-occupying lesion on the ventricular septal side within the left ventricular outflow tract. The final diagnosis of vegetation in the left ventricular outflow tract and accessory mitral valve was confirmed through surgical resection and postoperative pathology. Postoperative TTE showed a significant reduction in the flow velocity and pressure gradient within the left ventricular outflow tract. Echocardiography,with its advantages of simplicity,non-invasiveness,and repeatability,allows for the direct observation of accessory mitral valve and other cardiac abnormalities,evaluation of valve function and hemodynamic changes,and assessment of the left ventricular outflow tract obstruction condition. It facilitates preoperative diagnosis and postoperative follow-up,serving as the gold standard for diagnosing accessory mitral valve.
7.Endoscopic ultrasound-based radiomics nomogram for preoperative predicting patients with early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma:a multi-center study
Yajing CHEN ; Shuhan SUN ; Shumei MIAO ; Xiaoyan HE ; Xiaoying ZHOU ; Feihong YU
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(1):56-64
Objective:To assess the predictive performance of a nomogram model integrating endoscopic ultrasound(EUS)radiomic features with clinical variables for distinguishing early esophageal squamous cell carcinoma(ESCC)from non-cancerous lesions.Methods:Clinical and imaging data from 454 patients who underwent EUS for suspected esophageal malignancies were retrospectively collected in the First Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing Medical University(training cohort, n = 323)and Dongyang People's Hospital(external validation cohort, n = 131)from January 2020 to November 2023. Independent clinical predictors of early ESCC were identified using univariable and multivariable Logistic regression analyses to establish a clinical model. Pearson correlation and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator(LASSO)algorithms were used to construct a radiomics model. A combined model integrating radiomics scores and clinical predictors was developed and visualized as a nomogram. The predictive performance of each model was assessed using the area under the ROC curve(AUC),and calibration curves were used to evaluate the model's fitting capability. Results:The training set and validation set indicated that there were statistically significant differences in age,smoking history and lesion location between the early ESCC group and the non-cancerous lesion change group(all P < 0.05). According to univariate and multivariate Logistic regression analysis,age( OR = 1.039,95% CI = 1.003–1.077, P = 0.036)and smoking( OR = 2.358,95% CI = 1.270 - 4.376, P = 0.007)were identified as independent predictors and used to develop the clinical model,with AUCs of 0.608 and 0.694 in the training and validation cohorts,respectively. Fourteen optimal radiomic features were selected to construct the radiomics model,with AUCs of 0.881 and 0.807 in the training and validation cohorts,respectively. The combined nomogram model demonstrated superior predictive performance with AUCs of 0.893 and 0.830,sensitivities of 82.5% and 79.1%,and specificities of 82.2% and 81.3% in the training and validation cohorts,respectively. Conclusions:The EUS-based nomogram model demonstrates optimal predictive performance and can serve as a non-invasive tool to assist endoscopists in distinguishing early ESCC from non-cancerous lesions.
8.Analysis of natural pregnancy outcome of pump twin after spontaneous cessation of blood flow in the umbilical artery of the acardiac twin with reverse arterial perfusion sequence
Renfeng YI ; Li LU ; Chen CHENG ; Sheng ZHAO ; Xiaohong YANG
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(1):74-78
Objective:To analyze the relationship between the growth and development of pump twin and the changes of blood flow parameters and the natural pregnancy outcome of pump twin after pontaneous cessation of blood flow in the umbilical artery of the acardiac twin with reverse arterial perfusion sequence(TRAPs)detected by prenatal ultrasound.Methods:From January 2001 to August 2023,a total of 23 cases of TRAPs diagnosed in Hubei Maternal and Child Health Hospital were retrospectively collected and detected by ultrasound follow-up. According to the pregnancy outcome of the pump twin,23 patients were divided into the poor pregnancy outcome group(6 cases)and the good pregnancy outcome group(17 cases). The changes of ultrasound growth indexes and blood flow parameters of the pump twin and acardia twin were compared between the two groups. The hemodynamic parameters with statistically significant differences between the two groups were selected,and the diagnostic efficacy for TRAPs pregnancy outcomes was analyzed using ROC analysis.Results:There were no statistically significant differences in the structural development of acardiac fetus between the two groups,including skin edema,hemicardia,skull structure,trunk structure,upper and lower limbs,cardiothoracic ratio,amniotic fluid,sex and amniotic nature of twins(all P > 0.05). The lower limbs of acardia twin was significantly higher in the poor pregnancy outcome group(6/6)than in the good pregnancy outcome group(7/17),and the difference was statistically significant( P < 0.05). The relevant parameters of ultrasound blood flow were shown in both groups,there were no significant differences in middle cerebral artery pulsation index(PI)and umbilical artery PI between the two groups before natural occlusion of fetal blood flow with TRAPs(all P > 0.05). In the good pregnancy outcome group,the ratio of umbilical cord diameter between pump twin and acardia twin was higher than that in the poor pregnancy outcome group,the difference was statistically significant( P < 0.05). The scatter plot of the ratio of umbilical diameter between the two groups was drawn,and the cut-off value was 2.125 through ROC curve analysis,the area under the curve(AUC)was 0.961,the sensitivity was 94.10%,the specificity was 100%,and the Yoden index was 0.94. Conclusions:The ratio of umbilical cord diameter between pump twin and acardia twin in TRAPs is significant for predicting the pregnancy outcome of pump twin.
9.Research progress of thermal ablation for benign thyroid nodules in children
Wenyuan SHI ; Jiaojiao DING ; Xin NI
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(1):79-84
Although thyroid nodules are less common in children than in adults,some benign nodules enlarge with age,causing symptoms or aesthetic concerns. Preserving thyroid function is crucial due to its role in children's growth and development. Thermal ablation,a safe and minimally invasive technique,offers a new option for treating benign thyroid nodules in children. This article reviewed the indications,methods,outcomes,and complication management of thermal ablation,in order to provide a reference for clinical practice.
10.Advancements in intrauterine treatment of fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma
Qingguo ZOU ; Shanshan LIU ; Danping LU ; Hongyun ZHANG ; Jiang ZHU
Chinese Journal of Ultrasonography 2025;34(1):85-89
Fetal sacrococcygeal teratoma(SCT)is a rare condition,but the prognosis of fetuses diagnosed with SCT prenatally is generally poor,with a mortality rate of 13% to 50%. The primary causes of death include fetal hydrops and high?output heart failure,while other causes include tumor rupture,hemorrhage,preterm labor,dystocia,or malignant teratoma invasion of surrounding tissues. For large tumors,especially those with rich blood supply or rapid growth,intrauterine treatment should be considered to prevent arteriovenous shunting,reduce tumor size,and reverse fetal heart failure and hydrops. This approach aims to allow the fetus to grow safely to a viable gestational age,after which the tumor can be completely removed by secondary surgery following cesarean delivery or natural childbirth. Currently,there are five main intrauterine treatment strategies:①Ultrasound?guided cystic teratoma aspiration:single or multiple aspirations,intrauterine continuous drainage,or prenatal aspiration;②Ultrasound?guided alcohol sclerotherapy;③Open fetal surgery;④Laser ablation:fetoscopic?guided ablation of feeding vessels of the teratoma,or ultrasound?guided laser ablation;⑤ Ultrasound?guided radiofrequency ablation(RFA).According to the literature,the latter two minimally invasive intrauterine treatment methods show better outcomes for teratomas containing solid components and are gradually becoming the mainstream treatment options.

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