Quantitative imaging by pixel-based contrast-enhanced ultrasound reveals a linear relationship between synovial vascular perfusion and the recruitment of pathogenic IL-17A-FIL-23 CD161 CD4 T helper cells in psoriatic arthritis joints.

To develop quantitative imaging biomarkers of synovial tissue perfusion by pixel-based contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), we studied the relationship between CEUS synovial vascular perfusion and the frequencies of pathogenic T helper (Th)-17 cells in psoriatic arthritis (PsA) joints. Eight consecutive patients with PsA were enrolled in this study. Gray scale CEUS evaluation was performed on the same joint immediately after joint aspiration, by automatic assessment perfusion data, using a new quantification approach of pixel-based analysis and the gamma-variate model.

Vascular perfusion kinetics by contrast-enhanced ultrasound are related to synovial microvascularity in the joints of psoriatic arthritis.

The purpose of the study was to assess the relationship of the continuous mode contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasound (CEUS) imaging with the histopathological and immunohistochemical (IHC) quantitative estimation of microvascular proliferation on synovial samples of patients affected by sustained psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A dedicated linear transducer was used in conjunction with a specific continuous mode contrast enhanced harmonic imaging technology with a second-generation sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubbles C-agent. The examination was carried out within 1 week before arthroscopic biopsies in 32 active joints.

Analysis by high resolution ultrasound of superficial lymph nodes: anatomical, morphological and structural variations.

Purpose: To analyze morphostructural variations of benign lymph nodes, 49 cervical , 49 axillary and 49 inguinal lymph nodes had been studied in many healthy subjects.

Methods: Longitudinal and transverse diameters, longitudinal to transverse axis ratio, hilum and cortex thickness, hilar to cortical thickness ratio, presence and echogenicity of hilum, and presence of cortical focal thickening had been evaluated.

Results: Some parameters were statistically significant such as for the presence of hilum that was identified in 100% of axillary and inguinal lymph nodes.

Blockade of intra-articular TNF in peripheral spondyloarthritis: its relevance to clinical scores, quantitative imaging and synovial fluid and synovial tissue biomarkers.

Objectives: This open-label study is based on a translational approach with the aim of detecting changes in the clinical condition as well as in imaging and synovial biological markers in both synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissue (ST) in peripheral spondyloarthritis (SpA) patients following intra-articular (IA) blockade of TNF-α by serial etanercept injections.

Methods: Twenty-seven SpA patients with resistant knee synovitis underwent four biweekly IA injections of etanercept (E) (12.5 mg).

Synovial biomarkers in psoriatic arthritis.

Objective: To find candidate biomarkers of psoriatic arthritis (PsA). A panel of synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissue (ST) biomarkers was analyzed in patients with resistant peripheral PsA, in relation to clinical and imaging outcomes of synovitis response following serial intraarticular (IA) etanercept injections (12.5 mg).

Sonographic evaluation of bone fractures: a reliable alternative in clinical practice?

Objective: The objective was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of conventional radiography and ultrasonography (US) for the diagnosis of suspected bone fractures.

Method: Eighty-six patients were assessed using conventional radiography and US on the affected bone district.

Results: Radiographic and sonographic findings were concordant in 93% of cases.

Evaluation of finger joint synovial vascularity in patients with rheumatoid arthritis using contrast-enhanced ultrasound with water immersion and a stabilized probe.

PURPOSE.: To assess synovial microvascularity in finger joints with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), distinguishing between cases of active disease and those in remission; to standardize the technique for software analysis. METHODS.

Structured reporting using a shared indexed multilingual radiology lexicon.

Purpose: A system for creating structured reports (SRs) using a standardized radiology lexicon was developed and tested to facilitate automated translation of content and multidisciplinary international communications.

Methods: A database of radiology terms, RadLex developed by the Radiological Society of North America, was used to create a shared indexed multilingual radiology lexicon. A diagnostic workstation for generating structured reports (OpenEye) was implemented with a "RadLex manager" function for adding new words to the lexicon in both English and Italian.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for characterizing lymph nodes with focal cortical thickening in patients with cutaneous melanoma.

Objective: The aim of this study was to ascertain the utility of contrast-enhanced ultrasound in assessing the significance of focal cortical thickening in the lymph nodes of patients followed up after surgery for cutaneous melanoma.

Materials And Methods: Ultrasound was used to examine 460 consecutive patients to identify nodes with focal hypoechoic cortical thickening. Patients whose nodes revealed these features underwent contrast-enhanced ultrasound and ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) focusing on the area of cortical thickening.

Synovial effusion and synovial fluid biomarkers in psoriatic arthritis to assess intraarticular tumor necrosis factor-α blockade in the knee joint.

Introduction: The purpose of this study was the evaluation of synovial effusion (SE), synovial fluid (SF) and synovial tissue (ST) biomarkers in relation to disease activity indexes to assess the response to intraarticular (IA) tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α blockers in psoriatic arthritis (PsA).

Methods: Systemic and local disease activity indexes (disease activity score (DAS); the Ritchie articular index (mRAI), erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP); Thompson articular (THOMP) and joint articular (KJAI)-Index ) and ST samples were assessed at baseline, throughout treatment, and during the follow-up in 14 patients affected with PsA who underwent IA injections (0.5 ml to 12.

The role of contrast-enhanced gray-scale ultrasonography in the differential diagnosis of superficial lymph nodes.

Lymph node micrometastases are common, but too often in clinical practice lack the tools for their accurate prebiopsy detection. The gray-scale contrast-enhanced ultrasonography technique permits high-resolution imaging of both the arterial and parenchymal phase and allows visualization of diffuse and partial alterations of nodal perfusion even in lymph nodes with a maximum diameter smaller than 1 cm. The gray-scale contrast-enhanced ultrasonography can supply further useful information in case where doubt has arisen with conventional techniques.

Automated quantitative evaluation of lymph node perfusion on contrast-enhanced sonography.

Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the performance of experimental software (Qontraxt) intended to provide automated quantification of sonographic signal intensity, which is related to the contrast enhancement of lymph node tissue, to differentiate benign from malignant lymph nodes.

Subjects And Methods: In 31 patients (age range, 24-86 years; mean age +/- SD, 53.6 +/- 14.

Usefulness and limits of ultrasound-guided hook-wire positioning for localisation of soft tissue lesions prior to surgery.

Purpose: The aim of our study was to assess the usefulness of positioning metal wires under ultrasound guidance for localising soft tissue lesions in the preoperative phase.

Materials And Methods: We studied superficial soft-tissue lesions in 12 patients, using hooked mammographic wires of different lengths. One patient had a multifocal growth of disease which required a double localisation procedure.

Evaluation of lymph node perfusion using continuous mode harmonic ultrasonography with a second-generation contrast agent.

Objective: To evaluate the contribution of continuous mode contrast-enhanced harmonic ultrasonography (CE-HUS) with a second-generation contrast agent to the characterization of superficial lymphadenopathies with respect to conventional ultrasonographic techniques (B-mode and power Doppler).

Methods: Fifty-six lymph nodes from 45 patients were studied both by conventional techniques and by CE-HUS. The dimensions, intranodal architecture, margins, and location of vessels were evaluated.

High-sensitivity power Doppler imaging of normal superficial lymph nodes.

Purpose: This study was conducted to describe the various patterns of vascularity of the normal superficial lymph nodes detected using high-sensitivity power Doppler imaging according to the dimension and anatomic location of the nodes.

Subjects And Methods: A total of 712 lymph nodes (416 in the neck, 205 in the groin, and 91 in the axilla) were studied in 118 patients with high-sensitivity Power doppler. Three categories of vascularity were defined: absence of vascularity (type 1), hilar and perihilar vascularity (type 2), and vascularity in the entire node (type 3).

Contrast medium in power Doppler ultrasound for assessment of synovial vascularity: comparison with arthroscopy.

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of contrast-unenhanced power Doppler (CUPD) and contrast-enhanced power Doppler (CEPD) ultrasound (US) assessment of synovial vascularity of knee joint synovitis by prospective comparison with the "gold standard," arthroscopy.

Methods: A total of 18 knees of 17 patients with refractory rheumatoid and psoriatic knee joint synovitis were examined by US. Recognition of PD synovial vessel flow and its spatial arrangement in relation to the pannus/cartilage interface (P/CI) or fluid/synovium interface (F/SI) were studied by CUPD- and CEPD-US after a single intravenous bolus of galactosel palmitic acid (Levovist).

The role of preoperative ultrasound scan in detecting lymph node metastasis before sentinel node biopsy in melanoma patients.

Background And Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy of preoperative ultrasound (US) scanning in identifying lymph node metastasis before sentinel node biopsy (SNB), we conducted a prospective study on 125 patients with primary cutaneous melanoma (CM).

Methods: We prospectively enrolled 125 patients with >1 mm thick CM and candidate for SNB. Preoperatively, patients underwent US scanning of regional lymphatic basins and FNA of suspected lymph nodes (LN).

Targetlike appearance of pseudotumors in segment IV of the liver on sonography.

Objective: The purpose of this study is to report a new sonographic appearance of hepatic pseudotumors. These lesions had a targetlike appearance but were caused by spared areas in fatty liver.

Conclusion: Although representing a frequent pattern in metastases and mycotic abscesses, a central hyperechoic core encircled by a hypoechoic halo has not yet been reported in relation to pseudotumors.