Ultrasound in medicine & biology
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Nov 2015
Reduced Patellar Tendon Elasticity with Aging: In Vivo Assessment by Shear Wave Elastography.
How aging affects the elasticity of tendons has long been debated, partly because of the limited methods for in vivo evaluation, which differ vastly from those for in vitro animal studies. In this study, we tested the reliability of shear wave elastography (SWE) in the evaluation of patellar tendons and their change in elasticity with age. We recruited 62 healthy participants in three age groups: 20-30 years (group 1), 40-50 years (group 2) and 60-70 years (group 3). ⋯ Reliability was excellent at the middle area and fair to good at both ends. Compared with the other groups, group 3 had significantly decreased elastic modulus and shear wave velocity values (p ≤ 0.001 vs. group 1 or 2), with significant increased side-to-side differences. SWE may be valuable in detecting aging tendons before visible abnormalities are observed on B-mode ultrasonography.
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Oct 2015
Use of Endoscopic Ultrasound to Evaluate Large Gastric Folds: Features Predictive of Malignancy.
The aim of this study was to investigate with endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) the features of the gastric wall that can be used to predict malignant disease in patients with large gastric folds. We retrospectively reviewed the EUS findings of 65 patients (26 with benign and 39 with malignant disease) with large gastric folds on endoscopy and EUS and analyzed the predictors of malignant disease (e.g., gastric wall thickness, preservation of five-layered structure, thickened layers). ⋯ Among them, gastric wall thickness (≥9.8 mm) (odds ratio = 6.72, 95% confidence interval = 1.23-36.73, p = 0.028) and thickened muscularis propria (odds ratio = 37.14, 95% confidence interval = 7.02-196.49, p < 0.001) were significantly associated with malignant disease. Our data indicate that EUS is a useful tool for assessing large gastric folds and that gastric wall thickness (≥9.8 mm) and thickened muscularis propria are significant features predictive of malignant disease on EUS.
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Oct 2015
Comparative StudyQuantity and Quality of the Lower Extremity Muscles in Women with Knee Osteoarthritis.
The objective of the study described here was to compare lower extremity muscle quantity and quality between individuals with and those without knee osteoarthritis (OA). Twenty-one women with knee OA (mild, n = 8; severe, n = 13) and 23 healthy patients participated. Ultrasonography was used to measure muscle thickness (MT) and echo intensity (EI) of the rectus femoris, vastus intermedius, vastus lateralis, vastus medialis, biceps femoris, gluteus maximus, gluteus medius, gastrocnemius, soleus and tibialis anterior. ⋯ Compared with the healthy group, the mild OA group had decreased MT and enhanced EI. Changes in quality and quantity occurring with knee OA progression differed among muscles. In the vastus medialis, change was observed from an earlier stage.
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Oct 2015
Single-Camera Closed-Form Real-Time Needle Tracking for Ultrasound-Guided Needle Insertion.
Many common needle intervention procedures are performed with ultrasound guidance because it is a flexible, cost-effective and widely available intra-operative imaging modality. In a needle insertion procedure with ultrasound guidance, real-time calculation and visualization of the needle trajectory can help to guide the choice of puncture site and needle angle to reach the target depicted in the ultrasound image. ⋯ We used an inexpensive, real-time and easy-to-use tracking method based on an automatic feature extraction algorithm and a closed-form method for pose estimation of the needle. The overall accuracy was 0.94 ± 0.46 mm.
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Sep 2015
Use of lung ultrasound in detection of complications of respiratory distress syndrome.
Repeated chest radiography is required for the diagnosis and follow-up of neonates with respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) and carries the risk of radiation hazards. Lung ultrasound (LUS) is a non-invasive bedside diagnostic tool that has proven to be effective in the diagnosis of RDS. Our aim was to assess the role of LUS with respect to the standard chest X-ray (CXR) in the detection of complications of RDS in neonates. ⋯ Alveolo-interstitial syndrome was detected in 19 controls. In follow-up of the patients, LUS was superior to CXR in detection of consolidation and sub-pleural atelectasis, but not in detection of pneumothorax. We concluded that bedside LUS is a good non-hazardous alternative tool in the early detection and follow-up of RDS in the neonatal intensive care unit; it could be of value in reducing exposure to unnecessary radiation.