Sonographic features of urinary bladder involvement in regional enteritis.

Three cases of regional enteritis (Crohn disease) with secondary involvement of the urinary bladder diagnosed by ultrasound are presented. The ability of ultrasound to simultaneously and noninvasively demonstrate the changes in bladder and adjacent bowel, unlike other radiologic or urologic investigations, is emphasized.     

Disseminated rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder in an adult

A rare case of alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma of the urinary bladder, manifested as a systemic disease in a 51-year-old woman, was diagnosed at necropsy. Diffuse lytic bone lesions and extensive bone marrow involvement with a leukoerythroblastic blood picture led to an initial clinical diagnosis of a hematologic malignancy.     

Sonographic detection of Indian grass (Sorghastrum nutans), an unusual foreign body, in the urinary bladder

A variety of foreign bodies have been described in the urinary bladder. These bodies are usually found in patients who have a psychiatric disorder with a sexual perversion or inquisitiveness (as in children) as the underlying cause. We report a case of Indian grass inserted into the urinary bladder by an adult male that was detected on sonography and subsequently removed successfully via surgery.     

Sonographic appearance of aggressive angiomyxoma of the bladder.

Aggressive angiomyxoma is a rare, benign but locally aggressive mesenchymal neoplasm. We report the sonographic findings in a case of histologically proven aggressive angiomyxoma of the bladder. Sonography revealed a solid polypoid mass 2 cm in diameter with sharply demarcated borders, a heterogeneous echotexture, and a slightly hyperechoic rim.     

Sonographic detection of duodenal ulcer.

Using a wall thickness of greater than 5 mm for the first portion of the duodenum as the criterion for the sonographic diagnosis of duodenal ulcer, we studied the value of sonography in detecting this lesion. Endoscopy (88 patients) and upper gastrointestinal barium studies (12 patients) were used as the gold standards for the diagnosis. The study included 100 patients in whom gastrointestinal disease was suspected (20 with duodenal ulcer and 80 with normal findings). Of the 20 duodenal ulcers verified by endoscopy or upper gastrointestinal series, 13 patients had duodenal wall thickening, six had normal wall thickness, and one was nondiagnostic. Of the 80 subjects with normal findings on endoscopy or upper gastrointestinal series, 73 patients had a normal duodenum, four had wall thickening, and three were nondiagnostic. Considering the four nondiagnostic cases as sonographic errors, there were six false-negative cases and four false-positive cases (a sensitivity of 65%, specificity of 91%, positive predictive value of 76%, and negative predictive value of 92%). Our results show that sonography is not sufficiently sensitive to be used as a screening test, nor is it specific for duodenal ulcer, but a thickened duodenal wall of over 5 mm on sonography warrants additional work-up.     

Sonographic detection of intestinal pneumatosis.

Intestinal pneumatosis is an uncommon affection characterized by the presence of gas in the wall of the gastro-intestinal tract. The prognosis of this condition, observed in benign or severe diseases, is based on the outcome of the underlying affection. The diagnosis of pneumatosis intestinalis is unusually made with sonography. We report a case of pneumatosis intestinalis due to small bowel necrosis, initially suggested with sonography and further confirmed with computed tomography (CT) and pathology.     

Sonographic appearance of a cartilaginous cyst from the symphysis pubis mimicking a mass in the urinary bladder

A suprapubic cartilaginous cyst from the symphysis pubis is a rare lesion, which may be asymptomatic or cause symptoms such as urinary retention and pelvic pain. It is thought to be secondary to degenerative changes in the symphysis pubis and usually occurs in multiparous women. We report the case of a suprapubic cartilaginous cyst in a 76‐year‐old asymptomatic woman, which mimicked a bladder mass on ultrasonography. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound 42 :562–564, 2014     

Sonographic detection of the fetal pancreas

With the fetal stomach utilized as a general marker, targeted-imaging of the fetal abdomen was initiated to locate the pancreas. Overall, the pancreas was seen in 77 of 149 cases (51.7%). Menstrual age and the position of the fetus were significant factors in determining the frequency of pancreatic visualization.     

Sonographic detection of undescended testes in the third trimester.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the sonographic detection rate of fetal undescended testes among a low-risk population during the third trimester. METHODS: A sonographic evaluation, which included biometric studies and a detailed examination of the fetal genitalia, was performed prospectively on 332 male fetuses of singleton pregnancies between 34 and 40 weeks' gestation. A qualified neonatologist examined the presence of the testes within the scrotum within 3 days after birth. RESULTS: The scrotum was visible in 294 (89%) of the 332 fetuses who were examined. It was visible in all fetuses evaluated between 34 and 36 weeks' gestation. Nine cases of undescended testes were detected (3%). Of these, the diagnosis of 1 case, examined at 34 weeks' gestation, was revealed after birth to be false-positive. There were no false-negative results. CONCLUSIONS: Sonographic examination during the late third trimester of pregnancy appears to allow accurate diagnosis of undescended testes prenatally. This early identification will alert the neonatologist of the possibility of cryptorchidism and will permit early postnatal identification and treatment.     

Sonographic detection of free pelvic peritoneal fluid.

Transvaginal ultrasonography was performed on 113 women prior to laparoscopic sterilization. The amount and character of the peritoneal fluid present in the pelvis was assessed at the end of the operative procedure. Sonographically, free pelvic peritoneal fluid was seen in 42.5% of the patients. Laparoscopically, the average amount of fluid present was 11.2 ml with an average of 16.5 ml present in patients with FPPF and 7.2 ml present in patients without FPPF (P < 0.0001). Sonographic measurement of fluid volume was found to significantly underestimate the amount of fluid present at laparoscopy (P < 0.0001). Endometriosis and pelvic adhesions significantly changed the sonographic findings.