A multicenter, randomized, parallel-controlled clinical trial protocol to evaluate the safety and efficacy of irreversible electroporation compared with radiofrequency ablation for the treatment of small hepatocellular carcinoma.

Background: At present, the main clinical application of local ablation therapy, such as radiofrequency ablation (RFA), is to heat the tissue to a certain temperature. However, high temperature will cause thermal damage. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a novel minimally invasive local ablation technology for tumors.

Laparoscopic hepatectomy versus microwave ablation for multifocal 3-5 cm hepatocellular carcinoma: a multi-centre, real-world study.

Background: Researches comparing laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) with microwave ablation (MWA) for 3-5 cm multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma (MFHCC) are rare.

Materials And Methods: From 2008 to 2019, 666 intrahepatic tumours in 289 patients from 12 tertiary medical centres in China were included in this retrospective study. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance variables between the two treatment groups over time frames 2008-2019 and 2013-2019 to observe the potential impact of advancements in intervention techniques on overall survival (OS), disease-free progression (DFS) of patients.

Analysis of Quality Intima-Media Thickness and Quantitative Artery Stiffness technologies on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: a study on carotid artery structure, elasticity, and influential factors in patients.

Background: In recent years, there have been numerous studies using Quality Intima-Media Thickness (QIMT) and Quantitative Arterial Stiffness (QAS) technology to evaluate various related factors and disease-induced changes in carotid artery (CA) elasticity. However, there is still a lack of research on the relationship between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and various indicators related to the CA. This study aimed to investigate the clinical significance of using QIMT and QAS techniques for comprehensive evaluation of CA intima-media thickness (IMT) and elasticity changes in NAFLD patients, and to analyze various factors influencing these variables.

WFUMB Commentary Paper on Artificial intelligence in Medical Ultrasound Imaging.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is defined as the theory and development of computer systems able to perform tasks normally associated with human intelligence. At present, AI has been widely used in a variety of ultrasound tasks, including in point-of-care ultrasound, echocardiography, and various diseases of different organs. However, the characteristics of ultrasound, compared to other imaging modalities, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), poses significant additional challenges to AI.

Systemic Treatment Followed by Radical Resection Combined with Intestinal Autotransplantation (RRCIA) for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer: A Retrospectively Observational and Prospectively Validated Study.

Objective: The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of this approach and establish the criteria that identify LAPC patients who may achieve survival benefits from RRCIA.

Summary Background Data: Surgical resection for locally advanced pancreatic cancer (LAPC) remains challenging and associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially for surgery with major arterial reconstruction. We previously showed the feasibility and safety of Radical Resection Combined with Intestinal Autotransplantation (RRCIA) after systemic treatment.

Safety and effectiveness of balloon catheter-assisted ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation in difficult-site liver cancer.

Background: Balloon catheter isolation is a promising auxiliary method for thermal ablation treatment of liver cancer. We aimed to explore the safety and effectiveness of balloon catheter isolation-assisted ultrasound-guided percutaneous microwave ablation (MWA) in treating liver cancer in difficult anatomical locations.

Methods: Data of 132 patients with 145 difficult-site liver cancer treated with ultrasound-guided percutaneous MWA were retrospectively analyzed.

Value of Two-Dimensional Shear-Wave Elastography in Differentiating Pancreatic Steatosis From Pancreatic Fibrosis.

Objectives: Pancreatic steatosis (PS) and pancreatic fibrosis (PF) both show increased pancreatic echogenicity on conventional B-mode ultrasound. In this study, we assessed the applicability of two-dimensional shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE) for their discrimination.

Methods: We gathered data from 120 adults with valid 2D-SWE measurements, comprising 40 healthy individuals, 55 individuals diagnosed with PS via non-enhanced computed tomography (CT), and 25 patients clinically diagnosed with non-calcific chronic pancreatitis.

Image-Guided Thermal Ablation for Hepatic Epithelioid Hemangioendothelioma: A Multicenter Experience.

Purpose: To investigate the feasibility, safety, and clinical outcomes of image-guided thermal ablation in patients with hepatic epithelioid hemangioendothelioma (HEHE).

Materials And Methods: This was a multicenter retrospective investigation of 18 patients (43.9 years [SD ± 14.

A multicenter case-controlled study on laparoscopic hepatectomy versus microwave ablation as first-line therapy for 3-5 cm hepatocellular carcinoma in patients aged 60 and older.

Background: There is currently a lack of convincing evidence for microwave ablation (MWA) and laparoscopic liver resection (LLR) for patients ≥60 years old with 3-5 cm hepatocellular carcinoma.

Materials And Methods: Patients were divided into three cohorts based on restricted cubic spline analysis: 60-64, 65-72, and ≥73 years. Propensity score matching (PSM) was performed to balance the baseline variables in a 1:1 ratio.

Combination therapy of irreversible electroporation and cytokine-induced killer cells for treating mice bearing panc02 pancreatic-cancer xenografts.

The current study aimed to investigate the antitumor effects and potent mechanism of cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells combined with irreversible electroporation (IRE) via Panc02 cell-bearing mouse model in vivo. CIK cells were isolated from the spleens of Panc02 pancreatic-cancer (PC) subcutaneous-xenograft model and the proportion of different lymphocytes was also determined. The antitumor effect of the combination of IRE and CIK cells in a PC subcutaneous-xenograft model was also investigated.

Major complications after ultrasound-guided liver biopsy: An annual audit of a Chinese tertiary-care teaching hospital.

Background: As ultrasound-guided percutaneous liver biopsy (PLB) has become a standard and important method in the management of liver disease in our country, a periodical audit of the major complications is needed.

Aim: To determine the annual incidence of major complications following ultrasound-guided PLB and to identify variables that are significantly associated with an increased risk of major complications.

Methods: A total of 1857 consecutive cases of PLB were included in our hospital from January 2021 to December 2021.

Ultrasound identification of hepatic echinococcosis using a deep convolutional neural network model in China: a retrospective, large-scale, multicentre, diagnostic accuracy study.

Background: Ultrasonography is the most widely used technique to diagnose echinococcosis; however, challenges in using this technique and the demand on medical resources, especially in low-income or remote areas, can delay diagnosis. We aimed to develop a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) model based on ultrasonography to identify echinococcosis and its types, especially alveolar echinococcosis.

Methods: This retrospective, large-scale, multicentre study used ultrasound images from patients assessed at 84 hospitals in China, obtained between Jan 1, 2002, and Dec 31, 2021.

Simultaneous Delivery of Dual Inhibitors of DNA Damage Repair Sensitizes Pancreatic Cancer Response to Irreversible Electroporation.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is an abysmal disease refractory to most standard therapies. Irreversible electroporation (IRE) is a local ablative technique for the clinical treatment of solid tumors, including locally advanced and unresectable PDAC, by intratumorally delivering high-intensity electric pulses to permanently disrupt cell membranes and induce cell death. But the distribution of electric field is uneven within the tumor, and in some regions, tumor cells only experience temporary perturbation to their cell membrane, a phenomenon denoted as reversible electroporation (RE).

Safety and efficacy of microwave ablation for the treatment of low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma: a prospective multicenter study.

Objectives: To assess the safety and efficacy of ultrasound-guided thermal ablation for low-risk papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) via a prospective multicenter study.

Methods: From January 2017 through June 2021, low-risk PTMC patients were screened. The management details of active surveillance (AS), surgery, and thermal ablation were discussed.

Radical Resection Combined With Intestinal Autotransplantation for Locally Advanced Pancreatic Cancer After Neoadjuvant Therapy: A Report of 36 Consecutive Cases.

Objective: To achieve radical resection of locally advanced pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), and tested the safety and benefits of intestinal autotransplantation in pancreatic surgery.

Background: PDAC has an extremely dismal prognosis. Radical resection was proved to improve the prognosis of patients with PDAC; however, the locally advanced disease had a very low resection rate currently.

Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography for early prediction of response of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is widely accepted as a primary treatment for inoperable or locally advanced breast cancer before definitive surgery. However, not all advanced breast cancers are sensitive to NAC. Contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) has been considered to assess tumor response to NAC as it can effectively reflect the condition of blood perfusion and lesion size.

Long-term outcomes of endoscopic ultrasound-guided laser ablation for liver tumors in the caudate lobe: 5 years of experience.

Objectives: Liver tumor in the caudate lobe is challenging to treat, partly due to its deep location. Endoscopic ultrasound-guided laser ablation (EUS-LA) is a new attractive option for tumors in high-risk or difficult-to-reach locations. This prospective study investigated the long-term efficacy of EUS-LA for tumors in the caudate lobe, and factors that predict outcomes.

Deep learning radiomics of ultrasonography for comprehensively predicting tumor and axillary lymph node status after neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients: A multicenter study.

Background: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) can downstage tumors and axillary lymph nodes in breast cancer (BC) patients. However, tumors and axillary response to NAC are not parallel and vary among patients. This study aims to explore the feasibility of deep learning radiomics nomogram (DLRN) for independently predicting the status of tumors and lymph node metastasis (LNM) after NAC.