Tethered spinal cord tension assessed via ultrasound elastography in computational and intraoperative human studies.

Background: Tension in the spinal cord is a trademark of tethered cord syndrome. Unfortunately, existing tests cannot quantify tension across the bulk of the cord, making the diagnostic evaluation of stretch ambiguous. A potential non-destructive metric for spinal cord tension is ultrasound-derived shear wave velocity (SWV).

Ultrasound monitoring of microcirculation: An original study from the laboratory bench to the clinic.

Objective: Monitoring microcirculation and visualizing microvasculature are critical for providing diagnosis to medical professionals and guiding clinical interventions. Ultrasound provides a medium for monitoring and visualization; however, there are challenges due to the complex microscale geometry of the vasculature and difficulties associated with quantifying perfusion. Here, we studied established and state-of-the-art ultrasonic modalities (using six probes) to compare their detection of slow flow in small microvasculature.

Automatic detection of cotton balls during brain surgery: Where deep learning meets ultrasound imaging to tackle foreign objects.

Cotton balls are a versatile and efficient tool commonly used in neurosurgical procedures to absorb fluids and manipulate delicate tissues. However, the use of cotton balls is accompanied by the risk of accidental retention in the brain after surgery. Retained cotton balls can lead to dangerous immune responses and potential complications, such as adhesions and textilomas.

Pediatric emergency gastrointestinal ultrasonography: pearls & pitfalls.

Ultrasonography is an essential tool in pediatric imaging, particularly in the emergency setting. Although ultrasound is often the favored initial modality for abdominal imaging in children, it is highly operator-dependent and therefore prone to misinterpretation which can lead to false positive or negative exams, or even incorrect diagnoses. Conditions discussed in this series include ileocolic intussusception, hypertrophic pyloric stenosis, appendicitis, and ingested foreign bodies.

Effect of radiologist pregnancy on the performance of pediatric fluoroscopic studies: a survey of Society for Pediatric Radiology members.

Background: To our knowledge, the fluoroscopic practice patterns of pregnant diagnostic radiologists have not been documented.

Objective: To describe the fluoroscopic practice patterns during pregnancy among members of the Society for Pediatric Radiology (SPR) and potential impact on career and professional relationships.

Materials And Methods: After approval from the SPR, we sent all 1,847 SPR members an email link to an anonymous online survey that queried how pregnancy affects a practicing radiologist who performs fluoroscopy.

MR Imaging Evaluation of Pediatric Genital Disorders:: MR Technologic Overview and Interpretation.

MR imaging is frequently used to assess pediatric genital disorders. The ability to obtain 3-dimensional sequences allowing for multiplanar reformations and sequences designed to minimize motion artifact have aided in the imaging evaluation in the pediatric population. For certain genital disorders, such as Müllerian duct anomalies, MR imaging has become the standard imaging technique.

Identification of clinical parameters to increase the diagnostic yield of the non-emergent upper gastrointestinal series in pediatric outpatients.

Background: Outpatient, non-emergent upper gastrointestinal (GI) series are frequently requested in children with no surgical history who have nonspecific symptoms such as abdominal pain, failure to thrive and vomiting. The positive yield of an upper GI series in these patients, and, thus, its utility, has not been studied.

Objectives: We evaluated the incidence of positive upper GI findings in children without a history of GI pathology or abdominal surgery in order to identify clinical indications associated with a greater diagnostic yield.

Transperineal ultrasonography.

Transperineal US has increased in use in the last decade. It is helpful in the evaluation of distal genitourinary structures, the rectum and overlying soft tissues. When used in conjunction with transabdominal US, transperineal US can further delineate anatomy and assess abnormalities that affect the lower pelvis.

A risk adjustment method for newborns undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Objective: To develop a risk adjustment method for in-hospital mortality in newborns undergoing noncardiac surgery.

Summary Of Background Data: Understanding variation in outcomes is critical to guide quality improvement. Reliable outcome assessments need risk adjustment to allow comparisons.

Gata4 is required for maintenance of postnatal cardiac function and protection from pressure overload-induced heart failure.

An important event in the pathogenesis of heart failure is the development of pathological cardiac hypertrophy. In cultured cardiomyocytes, the transcription factor Gata4 is required for agonist-induced hypertrophy. We hypothesized that, in the intact organism, Gata4 is an important regulator of postnatal heart function and of the hypertrophic response of the heart to pathological stress.