Contrast-enhanced US versus US-guided biopsy for abdominal and pelvic neoplasm in paediatric patients: a propensity score matching study.

Objective: To compare the diagnostic performance of CEUS-guided biopsy (CEUS-GB) and ultrasound-guided biopsy (US-GB) in evaluating abdominal and pelvic (abdominopelvic) neoplasms in paediatric patients.

Methods: Patients aged < 18 years with abdominopelvic tumours who underwent either CEUS-GB or US-GB between April 2005 and May 2022 were retrospectively evaluated. Tumours diagnosed as malignancies by pathology were considered true-positive findings.

Development and Validation of an Explainable Machine Learning Model for Identification of Hyper-Functioning Parathyroid Glands from High-Frequency Ultrasonographic Images.

Objective: To develop and validate a machine learning (ML) model based on high-frequency ultrasound (HFUS) images with the aim to identify the functional status of parathyroid glands (PTGs) in secondary hyper-parathyroidism (SHPT) patients.

Methods: This retrospective study enrolled 60 SHPT patients (27 female, 33 male; mean age: 51.2 years) with 184 PTGs detected from February 2016 to June 2022.

Using four-point subcutaneous injection of lymphatic contrast-enhanced ultrasound to diagnose lymphedema of lower extremity.

Background: The diagnosis of lymphedema primarily relies on the clinical symptoms, signs, medical history and imaging. Objective lymphatic imaging helps improving the diagnosis of lymphedema. This study aimed to develop an effective imaging tool to diagnose lymphedema.

Interpretable artificial intelligence-based app assists inexperienced radiologists in diagnosing biliary atresia from sonographic gallbladder images.

Background: A previously trained deep learning-based smartphone app provides an artificial intelligence solution to help diagnose biliary atresia from sonographic gallbladder images, but it might be impractical to launch it in real clinical settings. This study aimed to redevelop a new model using original sonographic images and their derived smartphone photos and then test the new model's performance in assisting radiologists with different experiences to detect biliary atresia in real-world mimic settings.

Methods: A new model was first trained retrospectively using 3659 original sonographic gallbladder images and their derived 51,226 smartphone photos and tested on 11,410 external validation smartphone photos.

Percutaneous Ultrasound Cholangiography With Microbubbles in Children With Biliary Diseases.

The application of intracavity contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the evaluation of biliary disease has been confirmed valuable among pediatric population. This pictorial essay aims to demonstrate the role of percutaneous ultrasound cholangiography (PUSC) with microbubbles in the diagnosis of different pediatric biliary diseases in our center. The biliary system's morphologic characteristics in PUSC mode of neonatal hepatitis, biliary atresia, choledochal cysts, and biliary complications of hepatobiliary surgery are presented.

Predictive model containing gene signature and shear wave elastography to predict patient outcomes after Kasai surgery in biliary atresia.

Aims: Infants with biliary atresia (BA) are treated with Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE) surgery, but many BA patients need subsequent salvage liver transplants. The aim of this study is to develop a comprehensive gene-clinical model based on two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2DSWE), liver gene expression, and other clinical parameters to predict response to KPE for BA patients.

Methods: Differentially expressed gene patterns between liver samples of BA (n = 102) and non-BA control (n = 14) were identified using RNA sequencing analysis.

Association of the Triglyceride-Glucose Index With Risk of Alzheimer's Disease: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Introduction: Triglyceride-glucose index (TyG) is a reliable surrogate marker of insulin resistance, and insulin resistance has been implicated in Alzheimer's disease pathophysiology. However, the relationship between the TyG index and Alzheimer's disease remains unclear. This study aimed to evaluate the association of the TyG index with the risk of Alzheimer's disease.

Utility of the pediatric liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound criteria in differentiating malignant and benign multifocal lesions.

Background: The pediatric liver contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) criteria were developed to improve the diagnostic performance of CEUS in differentiating pediatric benign and malignant liver lesions. However, the diagnostic performance of CEUS in the evaluation of multiple focal liver lesions in the pediatric population has not yet been fully evaluated.

Objective: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of the pediatric liver CEUS criteria in differentiating benign and malignant multifocal liver lesions in children.

Long-term outcomes of combined radiofrequency ablation and multipronged ethanol ablation for the treatment of unfavorable hepatocellular carcinoma.

Purpose: To evaluate the local efficacy, safety, and long-term outcomes of combined radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and multipronged ethanol ablation (EA) in the treatment of unfavorable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and to determine the prognostic factors for survival.

Methods: Between August 2009 and December 2017, 98 patients with 110 unfavorable HCC nodules who underwent combined RFA and multipronged EA were retrospectively enrolled in the study. Unfavorable HCC was defined as a medium (3.

A nomogram model based on preoperative grey-scale US features and routine serum biomarkers to predict the outcome of infants with biliary atresia after Kasai portoenterostomy.

Objective: To establish a nomogram to predict the outcome of biliary atresia (BA) infants 3-months post- Kasai portoenterostomy (KPE).

Methods: BA Infants who underwent KPE from two hospitals were included in the training ( = 161) and validation cohorts ( = 64). A logistic regression equation (Equation A) for predicting the serum total bilirubin (TBIL) level 3-month post-KPE was established in the training cohort.

Percutaneous ultrasound-guided cholecystocholangiography with microbubbles combined with liver biopsy for the assessment of suspected biliary atresia.

Background: Percutaneous ultrasound (US)-guided cholecystocholangiography is effective in diagnosing biliary atresia for infants with a gallbladder >1.5 cm in length on US. However, whether it is still effective for other types of gallbladders needs further clarification.

Gamma-Glutamyl Transferase Combined With Conventional Ultrasound Features in Diagnosing Biliary Atresia: A Two-Center Retrospective Analysis.

Objectives: To develop and validate a biliary atresia (BA) diagnostic score based on serum gamma-glutamyl transferase (GGT) levels and conventional ultrasound features for discriminating BA in patients with jaundice from two centers.

Methods: A total of 958 patients from one hospital were classified as the derivation cohort, and 725 patients from another hospital were classified as the validation cohort. The optimal GGT cutoff value for diagnosing BA was calculated in the derivation cohort and subsequently verified in the validation cohort.

Ultrasound for the Diagnosis of Biliary Atresia: From Conventional Ultrasound to Artificial Intelligence.

Biliary atresia is an aggressive liver disease of infancy and can cause death without timely surgical intervention. Early diagnosis of biliary atresia is critical to the recovery of bile drainage and long-term transplant-free survival. Ultrasound is recommended as the initial imaging strategy for the diagnosis of biliary atresia.

Saline-Aided Ultrasound Versus Upper Gastrointestinal Series in Neonates and Infants With Suspected Upper Gastrointestinal Obstruction: A Prospective Multicenter Comparative Study.

. Use of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) series to diagnose UGI obstruction in neonates and infants has raised concern about increased radiation sensitivity of developing organs. .

Ultrasound characteristics combined with gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase for diagnosis of biliary atresia in infants less than 30 days.

Purpose: To retrospectively assess the diagnostic performance of grey-scale ultrasound (US) characteristics and gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) alone or combined in distinguishing biliary atresia (BA) from other cholestasis diseases in infants younger than 30 days.

Materials And Methods: Between January 2012 and October 2020, the demographic characteristics, laboratory results and US characteristics of 35 BA and 52 non-BA infants younger than 30 days were retrospectively evaluated. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUCs) were used to estimate the probability of predicting BA, which were compared by DeLong test.

The combination of conventional ultrasound and shear-wave elastography in evaluating the segmental heterogeneity of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia patients after Kasai portoenterostomy.

Objective: To retrospectively assess the value of the combination of conventional ultrasound and shear-wave elastography (SWE) in evaluating the segmental heterogeneity of liver fibrosis in biliary atresia (BA) patients after Kasai portoenterostomy.

Methods: A total of 35 BA patients with liver segmental deformation were enrolled. The segmental deformation was assessed by conventional ultrasound followed with SWE examinations for evaluating the liver stiffness.

Development of a pediatric liver CEUS criterion to classify benign and malignant liver lesions in pediatric patients: a pilot study.

Objectives: To analyze the contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) characteristics of pediatric patients with focal liver lesions (FLLs) and develop a pediatric liver CEUS criterion to improve the diagnostic performance of CEUS in differentiating pediatric benign and malignant liver lesions.

Methods: Between March 2011 and May 2020, patients < 18 years who underwent CEUS were retrospectively evaluated. The CEUS characteristics of FLLs were analyzed.

Ensembled deep learning model outperforms human experts in diagnosing biliary atresia from sonographic gallbladder images.

It is still challenging to make accurate diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) with sonographic gallbladder images particularly in rural area without relevant expertise. To help diagnose BA based on sonographic gallbladder images, an ensembled deep learning model is developed. The model yields a patient-level sensitivity 93.

Multiple-Electrode Switching-Based Radiofrequency Ablation vs. Conventional Radiofrequency Ablation for Single Early-Stage Hepatocellular Carcinoma Ranging From 2 to 5 Cm.

To retrospectively compare the treatment outcome of multiple-electrode switching-based radiofrequency ablation (switching RFA) and the conventional RFA for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A total of 122 patients with single early-stage HCC ranging from 2.1 to 5.

Application of quantitative contrast-enhanced ultrasound for evaluation and guiding biopsy of peripheral pulmonary lesions: a preliminary study.

Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) in differentiating malignant from benign peripheral pulmonary lesions, and to evaluate the feasibility, accuracy, and utility of CEUS-guided biopsy for peripheral pulmonary lesions.

Materials And Methods: Thirty-three patients with histopathologically confirmed peripheral pulmonary lesions (22 malignant, 11 benign) were enrolled in this retrospective study. Conventional ultrasound (US) was first performed and then CEUS with a contrast-specific mode and sulfur hexafluoride-filled microbubble contrast agent.

Quantitative Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound by Sonazoid in the Early Diagnosis of Biliary Atresia: An Experimental Study of Rats With Bile Duct Ligation.

We aimed to investigate the feasibility of quantitative Sonazoid contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) in the diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) at an early disease stage. First, liver tissue from 10 patients with BA and 10 patients with infantile hepatitis syndrome (IHS) was immunostained with cluster of differentiation 68 (CD68) to compare Kupffer cell counts. Then, quantitative Sonazoid CEUS was performed to evaluate the hyperplasia of the artery branches during the artery phase and changes in Kupffer cell counts during the Kupffer phase in a rat model of BA (common bile duct ligation).

Enlarged hepatic hilar lymph node: an additional ultrasonographic feature that may be helpful in the diagnosis of biliary atresia.

Objectives: To prospectively assess whether the detection of hepatic hilar lymph nodes (LNs) contributes to the diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA).

Methods: A total of 80 jaundiced infants were enrolled in this study and had abdominal ultrasound (US). The hepatic hilar LNs, the gallbladder classification, and the triangular cord (TC) thickness of all infants were evaluated.

Ultrasound Evaluation of Biliary Atresia Based on Gallbladder Classification: Is 4 Hours of Fasting Necessary?

Objectives: The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of fasting time on the ultrasound identification and exclusion of biliary atresia in jaundiced infants through the use of the gallbladder classification scheme and to test the value of the gallbladder classification scheme in the diagnosis of biliary atresia in inexperienced individuals.

Methods: A total of 188 jaundiced infants were enrolled in this study. All patients received detailed abdominal sonograms.

Percutaneous US-guided Cholecystocholangiography with Microbubbles for Assessment of Infants with US Findings Equivocal for Biliary Atresia and Gallbladder Longer than 1.5 cm: A Pilot Study.

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility of ultrasonographically (US) guided percutaneous cholecystocholangiography (PCC) for early exclusion of biliary atresia (BA) in infants suspected of having BA with equivocal US findings or indeterminate type of BA and a gallbladder longer than 1.5 cm at US. Materials and Methods This study was approved by the ethics committee; written informed parental consent was obtained.

Added value of two-dimensional shear wave elastography to ultrasonography for staging common femoral vein thrombi.

Unlabelled: prove the performance for staging common femoral vein thrombi (CFVT).

Material And Methods: A total of 194 consecutive patients with CFVT who underwent US and 2D-SWE were enrolled. These patients were categorized into three groups according to CFVT duration: Stage A (≤14 days), Stage B (14 days to 6 months), and Stage C (≥6 months).