TAZ and myostatin involved in muscle atrophy of congenital neurogenic clubfoot.

Background: Muscular atrophy is the basic defect of neurogenic clubfoot. Muscle atrophy of clubfoot needs more scientific and reasonable imaging measurement parameters to evaluate. The Hippo pathway and myostatin pathway may be directly correlated in myogenesis.

Evaluation of right ventricular volume and systolic function in normal fetuses using intelligent spatiotemporal image correlation.

Background: Heart defects are the most common congenital malformations in fetuses. Fetal cardiac structure and function abnormalities lead to changes in ventricular volume. As ventricular volume is an important index for evaluating fetal cardiovascular development, an effective and reliable method for measuring fetal ventricular volume and cardiac function is necessary for accurate ultrasonic diagnosis and effective clinical treatment.

Evaluation of the development of the fetal anal sphincter with tomography ultrasonography imaging.

The aim of the study described here was to examine the potential of tomography ultrasonography imaging (TUI) in evaluation of the fetal anal sphincter. In this prospective cross-sectional study of the fetal anal sphincter with TUI, 326 singleton pregnancies (mean age = 28 y, range: 22-38 y) were scanned at 19-40 wk of gestation. The fetal anal region and ischium were revealed in 320 of 326 patients (98.

Ultrasonographic dimensions of the common bile duct in Chinese children: results of 343 cases.

Background: At present, the diagnostic criteria of congenital cholangiectasis are still vague.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to assess the diameter references of the common bile duct (CBD) in pediatric population in different age groups with ultrasound.

Methods: The diameter of the common bile duct was measured with ultrasound in 343 Chinese Han children aged 1 day to 14 years (mean: 3.

Quantitative assessment of bladder neck compliance by using transvaginal real-time elastography of women.

To assess the feasibility of using ultrasound real-time elastography (RTE) to measure bladder neck compliance, we performed real-time elastography measurements by manually applying repetitive compression with the transducer on the scan position of the bladder neck. Instant elastography index (EI) and mean EI of anterior and posterior lips of the bladder neck were calculated. The EI values of anterior and posterior lips of the bladder neck were analyzed in relation to age, body surface area, body mass index, detrusor wall thickness and length, width and thickness of the bladder neck in healthy women.

TLR4 mediates MAPK-STAT3 axis activation in bladder epithelial cells.

The role of Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) in immune cells is well characterized, but its biological properties in bladder epithelial cells (BECs), especially reciprocal crosstalk between mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase pathway and signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT)3-mediated signal transduction elicited by TLR4 have not been demonstrated so far. The present studies were to demonstrate the signal transduction and inflammatory cytokine response elicited through activation of TLR4 in BECs with a special focus on the crosstalk between the MAPK-pathway and STAT3-mediated signals and its regulatory relevance for the inflammatory response towards lipopolysaccharide (LPS). We selected human bladder cancer T24 cell line in the present study and examined its expression of TLR4 by reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunohistochemistry.

Prenatal diagnosis of fetal unilateral lung agenesis complicated with cardiac malposition.

Background: Fetal unilateral lung agenesis, complicated with cardiac shifting, is a rare anomaly, the diagnosis of which remains a challenge for many sonographers in routine screening programs. The present study describes a systematic approach for the diagnosis of fetal unilateral lung agenesis and cardiac malpositions in routine prenatal screening.

Methods: A total of 18 cases of fetal unilateral lung agenesis complicated with cardiac malposition were reviewed.

Sonographic diagnosis of juvenile polyps in children.

The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic value of ultrasonography for juvenile polyps in children and their sonographic characteristics. A retrospective analysis was performed of the ultrasound findings in 27 children who were diagnosed preoperatively with juvenile polyp within the intestinal tract by ultrasonography and then confirmed by colonoscopy, laparotomy and histopathology. The ultrasonic finding common to all polyps was an isolated intraluminal nodular or massive protrusion, associated with multiple mesh-like fluid areas of different sizes.

Diagnosis value of focal liver lesions with SonoVue®-enhanced ultrasound compared with contrast-enhanced computed tomography and contrast-enhanced MRI: a meta-analysis.

Purposes: This study is aimed at evaluating diagnostic value of focal liver lesions (FLLs) with SonoVue(®)-enhanced ultrasound compared with contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) and contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging (CEMRI).

Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Central Register were searched for English language articles published from January 2000 to May 2011. Histopathologic analysis and/or close clinical and imaging follow-up (except CECT or CEMRI) for at least 6 months were used as golden reference.