Patterns of clinical nail appearances in patients with cutaneous psoriasis.

Background And Aim: Nail manifestations are often an overlooked aspect in psoriatic disease, cutaneous and joint involvement being far more often reported and investigated. The reported prevalence of nail changes varies in literature, specific fingernail clinical features having different degrees of occurrence. The aim of this study was to describe specific clinical patterns of fingernail alterations in adult patients with plaque-type psoriasis in a university hospital in the North-West of Romania.

Redundant plantar skin folds.

A 46-year-old female patient presented with photosensitivity, symmetric arthritis, episodic plantar pain and strikingly redundant plantar skin folds, likely due to lipoatrophy after recurrent episodes of plantar panniculitis. In this context, leukopenia with lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia and positive antinuclear antibodies were revelatory for systemic lupus erythematosus. However, a small cerebriform plantar collagenoma, along with discrete dysmorphic features with downslanting palpebral fissures and mild right ptosis, second and third syndactyly and a larger first right toe since childhood, and early-onset bilateral ovarian cystadenoma, suggested a minimal Proteus syndrome.

The ultrasonographic diagnosis of cystic cervical lesions: a pictorial essay.

The importance of ultrasonographic (US) examination in the evaluation of the superficial structures of the head and neck region is increasing due to the widespread availability of modern equipment (such as high-frequency transducers) and modern techniques. In the case of a cervical lesion, ultrasound is usually the first imaging method used to assess the changes. First of all, US is capable of differentiating between cystic and solid structures, and based on the US appearance correlated with the age of the patient, location and growing pattern, the appropriate diagnosis is possible with a high accuracy.

The role of lymph node ultrasound evaluation in melanoma - review of the literature.

Melanoma is an aggressive tumour, resistant to treatment, derived from melanocytes, with an increasing incidence in the last years in the majority of countries. The most important prognostic factor in the initial stages (I/II) is the presence of metastases at the level of lymph nodes. Ultrasound (US) is a non-invasive method, used in the pre- and post-operative node evaluation due to its high availability, the reduced cost and easy reproducibility.

Clinico-pathologic, dermoscopic and ultrasound examination of a rare acral tumour involving the nail - case report and review of the literature.

There is a large spectrum of tumors presenting as nodular lesions that may affect the subungual space. We report the case of a 62-year-old woman presenting with a rapidly growing nodular lesion under the nail of the first left toe. Non-invasive examinations using dermoscopy, ultrasonography and elastography were performed for the preoperative assessment of the lesion.

Unilateral temporal myositis heralding polymyositis: ultrasonographic and elastographic findings. Case report.

Temporal myositis is a rare inflammatory disease of the temporal muscle. We report a case of unilateral temporal myositis, in which a polymyositis was diagnosed two years thereafter. Although focal myositis may rarely herald polymyositis, isolated temporal myositis preceding inflammatory myopathies has not been described, to our knowledge.

Influence of Food Intake on 2-D Shear Wave Elastography Assessment of Liver Stiffness in Healthy Subjects.

Transient elastography and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse imaging are useful non-invasive methods for liver stiffness estimation, although both are influenced by food intake. The aim of the work described here was to identify liver stiffness variation after a standardized meal using 2-D shear wave elastography. Liver stiffness was estimated in 31 apparently healthy subjects, under fasting conditions and after a standardized meal (20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 120 min after food intake).

Assessment of Cutaneous Melanoma by Use of Very- High-Frequency Ultrasound and Real-Time Elastography.

Objective: The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the usefulness of very-high-frequency ultrasound as tool for assessment of skin melanoma by investigation of the correlation between the ultrasound measurement of the thickness of a melanoma and the histopathologically measured Breslow index. The secondary objective was to assess the potential role of real-time elastography in the preoperative evaluation of skin melanoma.

Subjects And Methods: The study included 42 cutaneous melanoma lesions in 39 adult subjects examined in the division of ultrasound of a department of radiology between September 2011 and January 2015.

Doppler ultrasound and strain elastography in the assessment of cutaneous melanoma: preliminary results.

Aim: To study the usefulness of color or power Doppler ultrasound (US) in the pre-surgical evaluation of skin melanoma, and to correlate the Doppler characteristics with the appearance on high frequency ultrasound strain elastography (SE) in the preoperative evaluation of cutaneous melanoma.

Materials And Method: The study included 42 cutaneous melanoma lesions in 39 adult subjects examined between September 2011 and January 2015. Doppler US features (the presence and aspect of vascularization, and the number of vascular pedicles) and elasticity by strain elastography were evaluated together with the pathological results.

Ultrasonography of desmoplatic fibroma of the mandible; a case report.

Desmoplastic fibroma (DF) is a very rare bone tumor, classified as a benign lesion. It might be locally a very aggressive tumor with a high rate of recurrence after surgical resection. We present a case of a 3-year and 6 month-old patient, with mandibular desmoplastic fibroma.

Ultrasonography in psoriatic disease.

Psoriasis represents a common, chronic inflammatory disease involving the skin, nails and joints. Nail psoriasis in usually investigated and diagnosed by clinical examination. New insights support ultrasonography as being a non-invasive reliable imaging technique for studying nail and skin involvement in patients with psoriasis.

A new sign in the standard hip ultrasound image of the Graf method.

Aim: The aim of the study was to assess the usefulness of obtaining a 900 angle between the plane of the osteochondral plate and the surface of the transducer during standard hip ultrasonography according to Graf method.

Material And Methods: In this retrospective study 1078 patients (2156 hips) were included examined between 2008 and 2014 for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) ultrasound screening. The patients were divided in two groups.

Comparative study of three sonoelastographic scores for differentiation between benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to explore the diagnostic value of three different sonoelastographic scoring systems (labeled S1-S3) for the differentiation between benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes.

Materials And Method: The authors propose a six pattern scoring system of the elastographic images with pattern 1 - representing purely soft nodes, pattern 2 - predominantly soft nodes, pattern 3 - predominantly soft nodes with focal had area, pattern 4 - predominantly hard node, pattern 5 - entirely hard node and pattern 6 - node with necrosis. The sonoelastographic images of 50 benign and 70 malignant lymph nodes were assessed.

Ultrasound and CT imaging features in a patient with salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland: a case report with literature review.

The aim of this paper was to present the ultrasound (US) and computed tomography (CT) appearance of a patient with salivary duct carcinoma of the parotid gland. US showed a voluminous mass of the parotid gland, with multiple calcifications. Furthermore, it revealed regional multiple lymph nodes with malignant characters.

Ultrasound elastography in thyroid disease.

Thyroid elastography has become, lately, one of the main focuses in thyroid imaging. With more than one hundred papers published on this subject, the core of accumulated knowledge justifies the need for a comprehensive review on the topic. The paper presents the various elastographic techniques used for thyroid assessment.

Misleading appearance in cervical lymph node US diagnosis - a report on sarcoidosis, Warthin tumor and squamous cell carcinoma metastases.

Ultrasonography, with its various techniques (grey-scale, color Doppler, sonoelastography) offers many signs for the differentiation between benign and malignant neck lymph nodes. In spite of recent progress, the US appearance may be misleading. We present three cases in which the ultrasonographic appearance of the lymph nodes was misleading as compared to the final diagnosis established by histopathology.

A case of alkaptonuria - ultrasonographic findings.

Alkaptonuria is a rare disease with autosomal recessive inheritance and variable expression. The weight-bearing joint involvement and spondylitis-like vertebral changes occur only after the 3rd decade. Musculoskeletal ultrasonographic findings in alkaptonuria were only rarely described, consisting mainly into enthesopathy and non-synovial tendon degeneration.

Spontaneous retroperitoneal and subcapsular liver hematoma. The diagnostic contribution of CT, US and CEUS. Case report.

We present the case of a patient undergoing long-time treatment with oral anticoagulants for a severe vascular pathology who had a major subcapsular liver bleeding as well as retroperitoneal bleeding. The purpose of the paper is to present the specific characteristics of this case, to review the literature that concentrates on spontaneous bleedings and to show the role of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography as a useful, non invasive imaging method in excluding active hemorrhage and its value in the non-surgical management of the case.

Differentiating benign from malignant superficial lymph nodes with sonoelastography.

The aim of the paper is to provide a comprehensive overview on the applications of real time sonoelastography (SE) in the diagnosis of superficial lymphadenopathy. Some technical aspects of performing SE are presented as a preamble. The typical appearance of benign and malignant nodes is illustrated.

Ultrasonographic identification of the anatomical landmarks that define cervical lymph nodes spaces.

The localization of cervical lymph nodes is extremely important in practice for the positive and differential diagnosis as well as the staging of cervical lymphadenopathies. Ultrasonography represents the first line imaging method in the diagnosis of cervical lymphadenopathies due to its excellent resolution and high diagnosis accuracy. The present paper aims to illustrate the ultrasonographic identification of the anatomical landmarks used for the definition of cervical lymphatic spaces.

Ultrasonography of superficial lymph nodes: benign vs. malignant.

The aim of the paper is to review and illustrate the current status of the knowledge on the applications of ultrasonography in superficial lymph node disease diagnosis. The grey-scale and Doppler ultrasonographic signs pointing to benignity or malignancy are presented, illustrated and their diagnostic usefulness is discussed. Peculiar types of lymphadenopathy such as inflammatory, tuberculous, lymphoma and metastasis of different origins are also discussed.

The value of a new score for sonoelastographic differentiation between benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes.

Objective: The aim of this study is to explore the diagnostic value of sonoelastography for the differentiation between benign and malignant superficial lymph nodes of the neck. In this respect the utility of an original scoring system was explored.

Material And Method: Over a period of 30 months the patients examined routinely for the assessment of superficial lymph nodes of the neck were recorded in a data base containing grey-scale, Doppler and sonoelastographic information and images.

Musculoskeletal sonoelastography. Pictorial essay.

Ultrasonic elastography (real-time elastography, sonoelastography) is a new ultrasound technique being one of the imaging mainstream in the last few years being used for characterizing soft tissue lesions, like breast, thyroid, prostate and lymph nodes. Musculoskeletal pathology was one of the first applications of sonoelastography, but, nevertheless the method is not yet standardized. The purpose of this pictorial essay is to briefly describe the technique and to exemplify the aspects of a variety of musculoskeletal pathologies.