MRI in the evaluation of plantar plate disease: diagnostic value of the "stress test".

Introduction: The plantar plate, also called the plantar ligament, is a fibrocartilaginous structure found in the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) and interphalangeal (IP) joints. Our study aimed to evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) performed with the patient in the standard position or with joint hyperextension (the "stress test", ST) in the study of plantar plate (PP) disease that involves metatarsophalangeal joints.

Materials And Methods: All patients underwent forefoot MRI (Atroscan C, Esaote, Genoa, Italy), operating at 0.

A Machine Learning Model Based on Thyroid US Radiomics to Discriminate Between Benign and Malignant Nodules.

: Thyroid nodules are a very common finding, mostly benign but sometimes malignant, and thus require accurate diagnosis. Ultrasound and fine needle biopsy are the most widely used and reliable diagnostic methods to date, but they are sometimes limited in addressing benign from malignant nodules, mainly with regard to ultrasound, by the operator's experience. Radiomics, quantitative feature extraction from medical images and machine learning offer promising avenues to improve diagnosis.

Rate and predictors of thromboprophylaxis in internal medicine wards: Results from the AURELIO study.

Background: Randomized controlled trials suggest that prophylactic doses of anticoagulants effectively prevent venous thromboembolism (VTE) in hospitalized medical patients with high thromboembolic risk. However, no prospective studies exist regarding the real-world prevalence of prophylactic anticoagulant use. This prospective study aimed to determine the rate and predictors of thromboprophylaxis in an unselected population of patients hospitalized in medical departments.

Multiparametric ultrasound evaluation of thyroid nodules.

Thyroid nodules are common incidental findings. Most of them are benign, but many unnecessary fine-needle aspiration procedures, core biopsies, and even thyroidectomies or non-invasive treatments have been performed. To improve thyroid nodule characterization, the use of multiparametric ultrasound evaluation has been encouraged by most experts and several societies.

Imaging of Carotid Stenosis: Where Are We Standing? Comparison of Multiparametric Ultrasound, CT Angiography, and MRI Angiography, with Recent Developments.

Atherosclerotic disease of the carotid arteries is a crucial risk factor in predicting the likelihood of future stroke events. In addition, emerging studies suggest that carotid stenosis may also be an indicator of plaque load on coronary arteries and thus have a correlation with the risk of acute cardiovascular events. Furthermore, although in symptomatic patients the degree of stenosis is the main morphological parameter studied, recent evidence suggests, especially in asymptomatic patients, that plaque vulnerability should also be evaluated as an emerging and significant imaging parameter.

US Markers and Necroinflammation, Steatosis, and Fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease: The iLEAD Study.

Background Attenuation coefficient (AC) and shear-wave speed (SWS) are established US markers for assessing patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), while shear-wave dispersion slope (DS) is not. Purpose To assess the relationship between the multiparametric US imaging markers DS, AC, and SWS and liver histopathologic necroinflammation in patients with MASLD. Materials and Methods This international multicenter prospective study enrolled consecutive patients with biopsy-proven MASLD between June 2019 and March 2023.

The Current Role of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Diagnosis and Staging of Bladder Cancer: A Review of the Available Literature.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is an advanced imaging technique that integrates conventional US with the intravenous injection of specific US contrast agents (UCAs), combining the non-invasiveness of US with the higher accuracy of contrast-enhanced imaging. In contrast with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computed tomography (CT) and cystoscopy, CEUS has few contraindications, and UCAs are non-nephrotoxic agents that can be safely used in patients with kidney failure. CEUS is a well-established method for the detection of liver lesions and for echocardiography, and its indications are expanding.

Unusual application of twinkling artifact.

Introduction: The aim of this paper is to show how to improve diagnostic accuracy using CDUS and twinkling artifact in patients experiencing discomfort due to the presence of small FBs in the soft tissues not clearly visible at US grayscale examination.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 7 adult patients presenting with small (2-4 mm) superficial FBs located in the subcutaneous and muscle tissues, barely or not detectable on US grayscale. All patients underwent US grayscale and CDUS examinations.

Clinical and Ultrasound Efficacy of Topical Hypertonic Cream (Jovita Osmocell) in the Treatment of Cellulite: A Prospective, Monocentric, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Study.

Cellulite, or edemato-fibro-sclerotic panniculopathy (EFP), is characterized by dermal and hypodermal changes leading to adipose tissue accumulation and compromised venous circulation. This study investigates the efficacy of a hypertonic cream containing concentrated sodium chloride (Jovita Osmocell) in addressing water retention and structural alterations in adipose tissue, aiming to interrupt the cellulite formation process. A 12-week, prospective, monocentric, double-blind, placebo-controlled study enrolled 30 female subjects with grade II or III cellulite.

Quantitative ultrasound radiomics analysis to evaluate lymph nodes in patients with cancer: a systematic review.

This systematic review aims to evaluate the role of ultrasound (US) radiomics in assessing lymphadenopathy in patients with cancer and the ability of radiomics to predict metastatic lymph node involvement. A systematic literature search was performed in the PubMed (MEDLINE), Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), and EMBASE (Ovid) databases up to June 13, 2023. 42 articles were included in which the lymph node mass was assessed with a US exam, and the analysis was performed using radiomics methods.

Musculoskeletal disorders in padel: from biomechanics to sonography.

Padel is a racket sport, combining high-frequency and low-intensity athletic gestures, that has been gaining growing scientific interest in recent years. Musculoskeletal injuries are very common among padel players with an incidence rate of 3 per 1000 h of training and 8 per 1000 matches. To the best of our knowledge, a comprehensive collection describing the most common sonographic findings in padel players with musculoskeletal injuries is lacking in the pertinent literature.

NIFTP-adjusted risk estimation of Bethesda thyroid cytology categories should consider the indication for FNA according to TIRADS.

Background: Non-invasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features (NIFTP) was firstly described in 2016. Since NIFTP is thought a non-malignant tumor, the Bethesda system for thyroid cytology proposes two estimations of risk of malignancy of the diagnostic categories, one considering NIFTP as cancer and another one considering it as a benign neoplasm. The present study aimed to review NIFTPs in a single center, re-assess them across categories of three Thyroid Imaging Reporting and Data Systems (TIRADSs), and define the indication for biopsy according to the category-specific size cut-offs.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) in the Detection of Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer: A Systematic Review and Diagnostic Meta-Analysis.

Background: Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) is a diagnostic tool that is gaining popularity for its ability to improve overall diagnostic accuracy in bladder cancer (BC) staging. Our aim is to determine the cumulative diagnostic performance of CEUS in predicting preoperative muscle invasiveness using a comprehensive systematic review and pooled meta-analysis.

Methods: A systematic review until October 2023 was performed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement.

Iodized Salt May Not Be Sufficient to Guarantee an Adequate Iodine Intake in Pregnant Women.

Adequate iodine intake is of crucial importance in pregnancy to meet the thyroid hormone needs of both mother and fetus. In the present study, undertaken as a part of the surveillance actions following the introduction in Italy of a national salt iodination program in 2005, the iodine intake was investigated in 123 pregnant women and 49 control women living in the same area of central Italy. All the participants were screened for urinary iodine concentration (UIC), serum level of thyrotropin, free-thyroxine, free-triiodothyronine, and thyroid volume.

CEUS Bosniak Classification-Time for Differentiation and Change in Renal Cyst Surveillance.

It is time for a change. CEUS is an established method that should be much more actively included in renal cyst monitoring strategies. This review compares the accuracies, strengths, and weaknesses of CEUS, CECT, and MRI in the classification of renal cysts.

Quantitative ultrasound fatty liver evaluation in a pediatric population: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging of liver proton density fat fraction.

Background: Biopsy remains the gold standard for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis, the leading cause of pediatric chronic liver disease; however, its costs call for less invasive methods.

Objective: This study examined the diagnostic accuracy and reliability of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) for the assessment of liver fat content in a pediatric population, using magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) as the reference standard.

Materials And Methods: We enrolled 36 patients.

Patello-Femoral Pain Syndrome: Magnetic Resonance Imaging versus Ultrasound.

Background: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and Ultrasound (US) in combination with clinical data could contribute to the diagnosis, staging and follow-up of Patello-Femoral Syndrome (PFS), which often overlaps with other pathologies of the knee.

Purpose Of The Study: To evaluate the diagnostic role of MRI and US findings associated with PFS and define the range values of instrumental measurements obtained in pathological cases and healthy controls, the performance of the two methods in comparison, and the correlation with clinical data.

Materials And Methods: 100 subjects were examined: 60 patients with a high suspicion of PFS at the clinical evaluation and 40 healthy controls.

New Technologies in the Assessment of Carotid Stenosis: Beyond the Color-Doppler Ultrasound-High Frame Rate Vector-Flow and 3D Arterial Analysis Ultrasound.

Atherosclerotic plaque in the carotid artery is the main cause of ischemic stroke, with a high incidence rate among people over 65 years. A timely and precise diagnosis can help to prevent the ischemic event and decide patient management, such as follow up, medical, or surgical treatment. Presently, diagnostic imaging techniques available include color-Doppler ultrasound, as a first evaluation technique, computed tomography angiography, which, however, uses ionizing radiation, magnetic resonance angiography, still not in widespread use, and cerebral angiography, which is an invasively procedure reserved for therapeutically purposes.

Qualitative Assessment of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Differentiating Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma and Oncocytoma.

Background: We aimed to assess whether clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) can be differentiated from renal oncocytoma (RO) on a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods: Between January 2021 and October 2022, we retrospectively queried and analyzed our prospectively maintained dataset. Renal mass features were scrutinized with conventional ultrasound imaging (CUS) and CEUS.

US Evaluation of Topical Hemostatic Agents in Post-Thyroidectomy.

Background: the aim of this study was to describe the ultrasound appearance of topical hemostatics after thyroidectomy.

Methods: we enrolled 84 patients who were undergoing thyroid surgery and were treated with two types of topical hemostats, 49 with an absorbable hemostat of oxidized regenerated cellulose (Oxitamp) and 35 with a fibrin glue-based hemostat (Tisseel). All patients were examined using B-mode ultrasound.

Ultrasound imaging of the axilla.

Axilla is a pyramidal-in-shape "virtual cavity" housing multiple anatomical structures and connecting the upper limb with the trunk. To the best of our knowledge, in the pertinent literature, a detailed sonographic protocol to comprehensively assess the axillary region in daily practice is lacking. In this sense, the authors have briefly described the anatomical architecture of the axilla-also using cadaveric specimens-to propose a layer-by-layer sonographic approach to this challenging district.

SIUMB recommendations on the use of ultrasound in neoplastic lesions of the gallbladder and extrahepatic biliary tract.

Extrahepatic biliary tract and gallbladder neoplastic lesions are relatively rare and hence are often underrepresented in the general clinical recommendations for the routine use of ultrasound (US). Dictated by the necessity of updated summarized review of current literature to guide clinicians, this paper represents an updated position of the Italian Society of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (SIUMB) on the use of US and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in extrahepatic biliary tract and gallbladder neoplastic lesions such as extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, gallbladder adenocarcinoma, gallbladder adenomyomatosis, dense bile with polypoid-like appearance and gallbladder polyps.

The Dark Side of Ultrasound Imaging in Parathyroid Disease.

The diagnosis of parathyroid diseases by imaging still has some intrinsic technical limitations due to the differential diagnosis of different structures of the neck that mimic the parathyroid glands. In this view, ultrasound (US) is an established, low-cost, and non-invasive imaging technique that still represents the first-line approach for evaluating patients with parathyroid disease. The objective of this article is to provide a comprehensive review of the applications of USs in clinical practice, discussing the histopathological and US characteristics of the parathyroid glands in normal and pathological conditions, the advantages of preoperative imaging, and novel updates on the most useful and currently available multiparameter US techniques.