ObjectiveTo systematically review the value of ultrasound contrast agents injected subcutaneously for diagnosing sentinel lymph nodes of breast cancer. MethodsWe electronically searched databases including PubMed, EMbase, The Cochrane Library, CNKI, CBM, WanFang Data, and Medalink from their inception to July 2014, to collect diagnostic accuracy studies of ultrasound contrast agents injected subcutaneously for diagnosing sentinel lymph nodes of breast cancer. Two reviewers independently screened literature according to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, extracted data and assessed the methodological quality of included studies. Then, meta-analysis was performed by using Meta-Disc 1.4 software. ResultsEight studies involving 311 sentinel lymph nodes were included. The results of meta-analysis showed that, the pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, diagnostic odds ratio, and the area under curve (AUC) of SROC were 0.89 (95%CI 0.84 to 0.93), 0.81 (95%CI 0.72 to 0.87), 4.14 (95%CI 2.20 to 7.79), 0.15 (95%CI 0.10 to 0.25), 33.23 (95%CI 11.17 to 98.83), and 0.96 respectively. ConclusionContrast-enhanced ultrasound has a high value in diagnosis of sentinel lymph nodes of breast cancer. Due to limited quality and quantity of the included studies, more high quality and large-scale studies are needed to verify the above conclusion.
Correlation between nonlinear subharmonic scattering of ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles and ambient pressure is expected to be used for local brain tissue pressure monitoring. Although high-frequency ultrasound has achieved high-resolution imaging of intracranial microvessels, the research on high-frequency subharmonic scattering characteristics of microbubbles is insufficient at present, which restricts the research progress of estimating local brain tissue pressure based on high-frequency subharmonic scattering of microbubbles. Therefore, under the excitation of 10 MHz high-frequency ultrasound, the effects of different acoustic pressures and ambient pressures on the high-frequency subharmonic scattering characteristics of three different ultrasound contrast agents including SonoVue, Sonazoid and Huashengxian were investigated in this in vitro study. Results showed that the subharmonic scattering amplitudes of the three microbubbles increased with the increase of ambient pressure at the peak negative acoustic pressures of 696, 766 and 817 kPa, and there was a favorable linear correlation between subharmonic amplitude and ambient pressure. Under the above three acoustic pressures, the highest correlation coefficient of SonoVue was 0.948 (P = 0.03), the highest sensitivity of pressure measurement was 0.248 dB/mm Hg and the minimum root mean square error (RMSE) was 2.64 mm Hg. Sonazoid's highest correlation coefficient was 0.982 (P < 0.01), the highest sensitivity of pressure measurement was 0.052 dB/mm Hg and the minimum RMSE was 1.51 mm Hg. The highest correlation coefficient of Huashengxian was 0.969 (P = 0.02), the highest sensitivity of pressure measurement was 0.098 dB/mm Hg and the minimum RMSE was 2.00 mm Hg. The above in vitro experimental results indicate that by selecting ultrasound contrast agent microbubbles and optimizing acoustic pressure, the correlation between high-frequency subharmonic scattering of microbubbles and ambient pressure can be improved, the sensitivity of pressure measurement can be upgraded, and the measurement error can be reduced to meet the clinical demand for local brain tissue pressure measurement, which provided an important experimental basis for subsequent research in vivo.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) to the sentinel lymph node (SLN) of breast cancer. MethodsSeventy-two operable breast cancer patients with clinically negative axillary lymph node were enrolled.Sulphur hexafluoride microbubbles for injection (SonoVue) was used alone as the tracer agent for the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), and axillary dissection was performed after the methylene blue location.All SLNs were examined pathologically with HE staining.The SLN diagnosis result of contrast enhanced ultrasound and postoperative pathological examination result were comparative analyzed. ResultsAfter the injection of SonoVue can obtain a clear image of the lymphatic vessels and SLN.The success rate of CEUS imaging was 84.72% (61/72) in this group of 72 patients, and the false negative rate was 12.12% (4/33).The sensitivity and specificity of diagnosis by CEUS was 92.50% (37/40) and 92.59% (50/54), respectively, the diagnostic odds ratio (DOR) was 154.17.By the pathology results as the gold standard, the internal consistency of these two methods was good (Kappa value=0.848, P < 0.01). ConclusionCEUS may be a useful orientation and determination method for SLNs.
Gallbladder polypoid lesion (GPL) is a common gallbladder disease, mainly including tumor lesions such as gallbladder cancer and gallbladder adenoma and non-tumor lesions such as cholesterol polyps and gallbladder adenomyomatosis. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) can improve the diagnostic accuracy of GPL. This paper reviews the application progress of CEUS in the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer, gallbladder adenoma, gallbladder cholesterol polyps and gallbladder adenomyosis, and the limitations of CEUS in the diagnosis of GPL.
Objective To explore the value of three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography in the differential diagnosis of breast masses. Methods A total of 120 patients with breast masses who were treated in our hospital from July 2013 to February 2016 were selected as the research objects retrospectively, including 70 patients of benign tumor (benign group) and 50 patients of malignant tumor (malignant group) that confirmed by surgery and pathology. All patients were given conventional two-dimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography during the diagnosis. Compared the imaging features of benign group and malignant group, and compared the diagnostic value of two-dimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography for breast masses. Results Compared with benign group, the rates of irregular masses, unclear boundary, inhomogeneous echo, lateral shadowing, echo attenuation, and micro calcification in the malignant group were all higher (P<0.05). The three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography scores in malignant group and benign group were significantly different with each other (P<0.05), the score of the malignant group was higher than that of benign group. The 2- and 3-score was common in benign group, but 4- and 5-score was common in malignant group. The diagnostic sensitivity of two-dimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography for breast masses were 97.1% (68/70) and 98.6% (69/70) respectively, and the specificity were 80.0% (40/50) and 96.0% (48/50) respectively, the specificity of three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography was significantly higher than that of two-dimensional ultrasound (P<0.05). Conclusion Two-dimensional ultrasound and three-dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography both have a certain diagnostic value in the differential diagnosis of breast masses, but the three dimensional contrast-enhanced ultrasound angiography can get more information through assessment of richness of the microvascular in tumor tissue, so as to improve the diagnostic specificity and is worthy of popularization and application.
ObjectiveTo investigate the value of contrastenhanced ultrasonography in differential diagnosis between benign and malignant breast mass. MethodsTotally 65 patients with 70 breast masses were evaluated by general ultrasonography and contrastenhanced ultrasonography with contrast agent SonoVue. The related indexes, such as the degree and mode of contrast enhancement, the lesion boundaries and dissipation mode, were used to describe the difference between benign and malignant mass, which was also compared with pathological results. ResultsHistopathological examination revealed that benign mass was in 37 cases and malignant in 28 cases. The sensitivity, accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of contrastenhanced ultrasonography with contrast agent SonoVue were significantly higher than that of general ultrasonography (Plt;0.05), while no significant difference in diagnostic specificity and misdiagnosis rate was observed between them (Pgt;0.05). All tumors showed contrast enhancement in various degrees. Of 28 patients with enhanced mass, hyperenhancement in 22 cases and nodular inhomogeneous enhancement in 21 cases were observed and the boundaries of malignant tumor were irregular with ill-defined and radial enhancement. Most of benign tumors were represented by weak, homogeneous enhancement, and the shape was regular with smooth and tidy boundary and intact capsule except seven cases with unclear boundary. These imaging characteristics of benign and malignant tumors were obviously different (P=0.000). In the resolution phase, both benign and malignant mass showed heterogeneous or homogeneous dissipation, which was not significantly different (P=0.791). ConclusionCompared with general ultrasonography, contrast enhanced ultrasonography may be more helpful for the differential diagnosis of benign and malignant breast tumors.
Progress in the treatment of acute myocardial infarction (AMI)， chronic coronary artery disease and their immediate complications has led to an increasing number of surviving patients with residual left ventricular dysfunction. It has been shown that viable myocardium in post-AMI patients and chronic heart failure patients plays an important role in predicting their prognosis and making clinical decisions. Viable myocardium refers to myocardium with reversible contractile dysfunction that occurs in coronary ischemia or after ischemia-reperfusion, but still has contractile reserve. Myocardial microvascular integrity is in correspondence with myocardial viability. Myocardial contrast echocardiography can evaluate the microvascular integrity of myocardial dysfunctional areas in patients with AMI or chronic coronary artery disease, detect viable myocardium， predict the potential for functional recovery in dysfunctional areas following reperfusion， and provide clinicians with valuable information for individualized treatment.