Search

Objective To investigate the relationship between shear wave elastography (SWE) elasticity indices of papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and central lymph node metastasis (CLNM) and to evaluate the value of SWE combined with gray-scale ultrasound (US) for predicting preoperative CLNM. Method This study included 172 patients with a pathology diagnosis of PTC who underwent preoperative gray-scale US and SWE evaluation. Patients were divided into CLNM-positive and CLNM-negative groups. We analyzed the association between SWE elasticity indices (Emax, Emean and Emin) and CLNM, compared the diagnostic efficacy of gray-scale US alone versus SWE combined with gray-scale US for predicting CLNM, and analyzed the influence of Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) on the diagnostic efficacy of CLNM. Results SWE elasticity values Emax, Emean and Emin were significantly higher in CLNM-positive patients (P=0.000, 0.000 and 0.003, respectively). The AUC of Emax was higher than that of other SWE indices for predicting CLNM (AUC = 0.749; 95% CI = 0.676–0.822). In multivariate analysis, microcalcification (OR = 5.254; 95% CI = 2.496–11.061), extrathyroidal extension (OR = 4.210; 95% CI = 1.423–12.456), multifocality (OR = 3.084; 95% CI = 1.190–7.991) and Emax >59.0 kpa (OR = 4.934; 95% CI = 2.318–10.500) were independent risk factors for predicting CLNM. The AUC of SWE combined with gray-scale US for predicting CLNM (AUC = 0.825; 95% CI = 0.760–0.879) was significantly higher (P = 0.011) than that for gray-scale US alone (AUC = 0.774; 95% CI = 0.704–0.834). There was no significant difference in AUC between the HT and non-HT subgroups in predicting CLNM (0.798 vs. 0.833, P = 0.640). Conclusions SWE can be used to predict CLNM in PTC patients. SWE combined with gray-scale US can improve the prediction of CLNM.

Primary mucinous tumors of the testis and paratestis are very rare, with only 29 reported cases detected in a PubMed search. The histopathological characteristics of primary testicular mucinous tumors are similar to their ovarian counterparts, and the diagnosis and naming criteria refer to the criteria for female ovarian mucinous tumors. However, the clinical and imaging features of primary testicular mucinous tumors are poorly understood, and they are thus frequently undiagnosed or misdiagnosed. We present the case of a patient with a primary testicular mucinous tumor. A 52-year-old man presented with a 1-year history of painless enlargement of the left scrotum. Ultrasound examination revealed a cystic mass in the left testis, with viscous fluid areas and calcified spots, irregular solid bulges on the cyst wall, and a small blood supply. Serum alpha-fetoprotein, β-human chorionic gonadotropin, lactate dehydrogenase, renal function, inflammatory markers, and routine urine and blood examinations were all normal. The patient underwent radical resection of the left testis. Postoperative pathology showed a multilocular cystic mass, with the inner wall of the sac lined with mucous columnar epithelial cells, some with mild nuclear atypia, and no interstitial infiltration. The pathological diagnosis was testicular mucinous tumor. Postoperative abdominal and pelvic computed tomography, colonoscopy, and gastroscopy showed no suspicious lesions. The final diagnosis was primary testicular borderline mucinous tumor. The patient underwent postoperative follow-up examinations once a year for 4 years. Serum tumor markers, scrotal ultrasound, abdominal and pelvic computed tomography scans, and colonoscopy and gastroscopy revealed no evidence of metastases or other primary adenocarcinoma. This case highlights the clinical and imaging characteristics of primary testicular mucinous tumors, which might aid their differential diagnosis.

To investigate the effectiveness of shear-wave elastography (SWE) based on e-health in diagnosing liver fibrosis in patients infected with hepatitis B virus (HBV) and provide theoretical basis for early diagnosis and treatment of patients with chronic HBV infection, in this study, 73 patients with chronic HBV infection who underwent e-health SWE examination were divided into chronic hepatitis B group (51 cases) and hepatitis B cirrhosis group (22 cases), and another 20 healthy volunteers were introduced as control. The contents of second liver two half-and-half, hyaluronic acid (HA) of liver fibrosis, laminin (LN), pAUVollagen III N terminal peptide (PIII NP), collage type IV (CIV), and HBV-DNA were detected. SWE was used to measure the elastic modulus in the S2 and S3 segments of the left outer lobe of the liver, S4 segment of the left inner lobe of the liver, S5 and S8 segments of the right anterior lobe of the liver, and S6 and S7 segments of the right posterior lobe of the liver. Finally, the correlations between the four examination results of liver fibrosis and the elastic modulus values were compared, and the receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) for SWE technical diagnosis was drawn. The results showed that there was no significant difference in HBV-DNA content between the two groups ( P > 0.05 ); the contents of alanine transaminase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) in the blood of chronic hepatitis B group were significantly higher than those in the liver cirrhosis group ( P < 0.05 ); HA, PIII NP, and CIV contents were significantly lower than the liver cirrhosis group ( P < 0.05 ); the success rates of SWE detection in S5 and S6 segments of the two groups were 100.00%, and the elastic modulus of the hepatitis B cirrhosis group was significantly higher than that of the chronic hepatitis B group ( P < 0.05 ); correlation results showed HA, PIII NP, and CIV of two groups of patients and elastic modulus value in S5 and S6 segments showed positive correlation ( P < 0.05 ); ROC curve analysis showed that AUC (area under the curve) was 0.866, the sensitivity was 89.59%, and the specificity was 76.49%, which indicated that the liver elastic modulus value measured by e-health SWE technology can quantitatively show liver fibrosis in patients with chronic HBV infection, and its application in the diagnosis of clinical liver fibrosis was real and feasible.

Urachal adenocarcinoma originates from the space of Retzius. It is a rare but aggressive neoplasm. Typical imaging findings of urachal cancer are difficult to find; this report provides an ultrasonographic (US) and computed tomographic (CT) description of the above. We present a case of a 45-year-old male patient presenting with painless hematuria of 1 week's duration and display the US and CT images. Imaging shows: (1) a solid, ill-defined, irregularly shaped mass invading the bladder wall located between the dome of the bladder and the abdominal wall, and which underwent significant enhancement; (2) hypo-echoic, heterogeneous echopattern with some calcifications and (3) patchy and short-line blood flow signals within the mass. Final histopathology confirmed urachal adenocarcinoma.

Background/aim: This study aimed to investigate the impact of blood pressure and sex on heart-vessel coupling in patients with essential hypertension via ultrasound. Materials and methods: We studied 76 patients with essential hypertension (48 males and 28 females) and 65 healthy controls (33 males and 32 females). Coupling parameters were obtained using ultrasound technology combined with brachial artery blood pressure measurement. Results: The Ea and Ees were higher in the hypertension group than in the control group (P < 0.01), with no statistically significant difference in Ea/Ees between the two groups (P >0.05). After subjects were classified by sex, the Ea and Ees of males and females in the hypertension group were higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05 or P < 0.01), while the Ea/Ees was lower in hypertensive females than in control females (P < 0.05). Conclusion: In female patients with essential hypertension, heart-vessel coupling was easily damaged, and systolic blood pressure was associated with heart-vessel coupling damage to some extent.