Exploring hepatic fibrosis screening via deep learning analysis of tongue images.

Background: Tongue inspection, an essential diagnostic method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), has the potential for early-stage disease screening. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of deep learning-based analysis of tongue images for hepatic fibrosis screening.

Methods: A total of 1083 tongue images were collected from 741 patients and divided into training, validation, and test sets.

US-based Sequential Algorithm Integrating an AI Model for Advanced Liver Fibrosis Screening.

Background Noninvasive tests can be used to screen patients with chronic liver disease for advanced liver fibrosis; however, the use of single tests may not be adequate. Purpose To construct sequential clinical algorithms that include a US deep learning (DL) model and compare their ability to predict advanced liver fibrosis with that of other noninvasive tests. Materials and Methods This retrospective study included adult patients with a history of chronic liver disease or unexplained abnormal liver function test results who underwent B-mode US of the liver between January 2014 and September 2022 at three health care facilities.

Complementary Role of CEUS and CT/MR LI-RADS for Diagnosis of Recurrent HCC.

Purpose: We retrospectively compared the diagnostic performance of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) and contrast-enhanced computer tomography-magnetic resonance imaging (CT/MRI) for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative treatment.

Materials And Methods: After curative treatment with 421 ultrasound (US) detected lesions, 303 HCC patients underwent both CEUS and CT/MRI. Each lesion was assigned a Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) category according to CEUS and CT/MRI LI-RADS.

US LI-RADS in surveillance for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma after curative treatment.

Objectives: To investigate the performance of US LI-RADS in surveillance for recurrent hepatocellular carcinoma (RHCC) after curative treatment.

Materials And Methods: This study enrolled 644 patients between January 2018 and August 2018 as a derivation cohort, and 397 patients from September 2018 to December 2018 as a validation cohort. The US surveillance after HCC curative treatment was performed.

Surveillance for malignant progression of LI-RADS version 2017 category 3/4 nodules using contrast-enhanced ultrasound.

Objectives: To identify the risk factors for predicting the malignant progression of LR-3/4 observations on the baseline and contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

Methods: In total, 245 liver nodules assigned to LR-3/4 in 192 patients from January 2010 to December 2016 were followed up by baseline US and CEUS. The differences in the rate and time of progression to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) among subcategories (defined as P1-P7) of LR-3/4 in CEUS Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) were analyzed.

Integration of Artificial Intelligence Decision Aids to Reduce Workload and Enhance Efficiency in Thyroid Nodule Management.

Importance: To optimize the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) decision aids and reduce workload in thyroid nodule management, it is critical to incorporate personalized AI into the decision-making processes of radiologists with varying levels of expertise.

Objective: To develop an optimized integration of AI decision aids for reducing radiologists' workload while maintaining diagnostic performance compared with traditional AI-assisted strategy.

Design, Setting, And Participants: In this diagnostic study, a retrospective set of 1754 ultrasonographic images of 1048 patients with 1754 thyroid nodules from July 1, 2018, to July 31, 2019, was used to build an optimized strategy based on how 16 junior and senior radiologists incorporated AI-assisted diagnosis results with different image features.

Value of Multimodal Data From Clinical and Sonographic Parameters in Predicting Recurrence of Hepatocellular Carcinoma After Curative Treatment.

Objective: The objective of the work described here was to assess the value of the combination of pre-operative multimodal data-including clinical data, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) information and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) based on 2-D shear wave elastography (SWE)-in predicting early (within 1 y) and late (after 1 y) recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after curative treatment.

Methods: We retrospectively included 101 patients with HCC who met the Milan criteria and received curative treatment. The multimodel data from clinical parameters, LSM by 2-D SWE and CEUS enhancement patterns were collected.

Shear-wave elastography combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound algorithm for noninvasive characterization of focal liver lesions.

Purpose: To establish shear-wave elastography (SWE) combined with contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) algorithm (SCCA) and improve the diagnostic performance in differentiating focal liver lesions (FLLs).

Material And Methods: We retrospectively selected patients with FLLs between January 2018 and December 2019 at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University. Histopathology was used as a standard criterion except for hemangiomas and focal nodular hyperplasia.

Identification of the origin of tumor in vein: comparison between CEUS LI-RADS v2017 and v2016 for patients at high risk.

Objectives: To compare the diagnostic performance of the Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Report and Data System (LI-RADS) v2016 and v2017 in identifying the origin of tumor in vein (TIV).

Methods: From April 2014 to December 2018, focal liver lesions (FLLs) accompanied by TIV formation in patients at high risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were enrolled. Histologic evaluation or composite imaging reference standard were served as the reference standard.

Application of the CT/MRI LI-RADS Treatment Response Algorithm to Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound: A Feasibility Study.

Purpose: The contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) treatment response algorithm (TRA) is still in development. The aim of this study was to explore whether the CT/MRI LI-RADS TRA features were applicable to CEUS in evaluating the liver locoregional therapy (LRT) response.

Patients And Methods: This study was a retrospective review of a prospectively maintained database of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing ablation between July 2017 and December 2018.

Reproducibility of radiomics features from ultrasound images: influence of image acquisition and processing.

Objectives: To systematically assess the reproducibility of radiomics features from ultrasound (US) images during image acquisition and processing.

Materials And Methods: A standardized phantom was scanned to obtain US images. Reproducibility of radiomics features from US images, also known as ultrasomics features, was explored via (a) intra-US machine: changing the US acquisition parameters including gain, focus, and frequency; (b) inter-US machine: comparing three different scanners; (c) changing segmentation locations; and (d) inter-platform: comparing features extracted by the Ultrasomics and PyRadiomics algorithm platforms.

Differentiation between combined hepatocellular carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma: comparison of diagnostic performance between ultrasomics-based model and CEUS LI-RADS v2017.

Background: The imaging findings of combined hepatocellular cholangiocarcinoma (CHC) may be similar to those of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). CEUS LI-RADS may not perform well in distinguishing CHC from HCC. Studies have shown that radiomics has an excellent imaging analysis ability.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound-based ultrasomics score: a potential biomarker for predicting early recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma after resection or ablation.

Objectives: This study aimed to construct a prediction model based on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) ultrasomics features and investigate its efficacy in predicting early recurrence (ER) of primary hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after resection or ablation.

Methods: This study retrospectively included 215 patients with primary HCC, who were divided into a developmental cohort ( = 139) and a test cohort ( = 76). Four representative images-grayscale ultrasound, arterial phase, portal venous phase and delayed phase-were extracted from each CEUS video.

Using new criteria to improve the differentiation between HCC and non-HCC malignancies: clinical practice and discussion in CEUS LI-RADS 2017.

Purpose: Using contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to evaluate the diagnostic performance of liver imaging reporting and data system (LI-RADS) version 2017 and to explore potential ways to improve the efficacy.

Methods: A total of 315 nodules were classified as LR-1 to LR-5, LR-M, and LR-TIV. New criteria were applied by adjusting the early washout onset (< 45 s) and the time of marked washout (within 3 min).

RGB Three-Channel SWE-Based Ultrasomics Model: Improving the Efficiency in Differentiating Focal Liver Lesions.

Objective: To explore a new method for color image analysis of ultrasomics and investigate the efficiency in differentiating focal liver lesions (FLLs) by Red, Green, and Blue (RGB) three-channel SWE-based ultrasomics model.

Methods: One hundred thirty FLLs were randomly divided into training set (n = 65) and validation set (n = 65). The RGB three-channel and direct conversion methods were applied to the same color SWE images.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Differentiation Between Poorly Differentiated Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Intrahepatic Cholangiocarcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of LR-5 for diagnosing poorly differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma (p-HCC). To build a contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) signature for improving the differential diagnostic performance between p-HCC and intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma (ICC).

Methods: The B-mode ultrasound (BUS) and CEUS features of 60 p-HCCs and 56 ICCs were retrospectively analyzed.

Pathological considerations of CEUS LI-RADS: correlation with fibrosis stage and tumour histological grade.

Objectives: To evaluate the influence of pathological factors, such as fibrosis stage and histological grade, on the Liver Imaging Reporting and Data System (LI-RADS) v2017 category of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in patients with high risk of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Materials And Methods: Between June 2015 and December 2016, 441 consecutive patients at high risk of HCC with 460 pathologically proven HCCs were enrolled in this retrospective study. All patients underwent a CEUS examination.

Diagnostic Performance of Quantitative and Qualitative Elastography for Axillary Lymph Node Metastasis in Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Studies have shown inconsistent results regarding the diagnostic performance of ultrasound elastography for axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM) in breast cancer. This meta-analysis aimed to estimate the diagnostic performance of ultrasound elastography (divided into quantitative and qualitative elastography) for ALNM in patients with breast cancer. The PubMed and Embase databases were searched for eligible studies exploring the diagnostic performance of ultrasound elastography for ALNM in patients with breast cancer.

Application of ultrasound-guided biopsy and percutaneous radiofrequency ablation in 2 cases with phosphaturic mesenchymal tumor and literature review.

Tumor-induced osteomalacia (TIO) is a vanishingly rare paraneoplastic syndrome which is usually caused by phosphaturic mesenchymal tumors (PMTs). The conventional treatment for PMTs is total resection, and ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation (RFA) can also be used for the treatment of PMTs patients, especially for patients in whom complete resection may lead to serious complications. We report two cases with PMT who presented syndrome with progressive musculoskeletal complaints and performed ultrasound-guided biopsy and RFA.

Ectopic Hepatocellular Carcinoma Occurring in the Bile Duct and Extending to the Gallbladder.

Ectopic hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is rare and there has been no report on ectopic HCC arising from both the bile duct and the gallbladder. It is difficult to establish a correct diagnosis for this kind of HCC based on preoperative imaging. All of the preoperative imaging examinations misdiagnosed the HCC as cholangiocarcinoma in our case.