Endovaginal sonographic evaluation of ectopic pregnancy: a prospective study

To determine the value of endovaginal sonography for evaluating women with a suspected ectopic gestation, we prospectively studied a group of 84 pregnant women in whom conventional transabdominal sonograms failed to show a living embryo. Of 84 patients studied, 25 had an ectopic gestation, 32 had a normal intrauterine pregnancy, and 27 had an abnormal (nonviable) intrauterine pregnancy. Endovaginal sonography, compared with transabdominal sonography, provided additional information in 50 cases (60%) and less information in only three cases (4%). Of 25 ectopic gestations, endovaginal sonography provided new information in 15 cases (60%) including detection of an extrauterine gestational sac (10 cases), extrauterine embryo (two cases), or adnexal mass (three cases) not observed on transabdominal sonography. Of 32 normal intrauterine pregnancies, endovaginal sonography provided additional information in 26 cases (81%) including detection of a yolk sac (14 cases), living embryo (11 cases), or small gestational sac (one case) not seen on transabdominal sonography. Of 27 abnormal intrauterine pregnancies, endovaginal sonography showed additional information in nine cases (33%) including detection of embryonic demise (three cases), retained intrauterine products (four cases), or a yolk sac (two cases) not seen on transabdominal sonography. Patient acceptance of endovaginal sonography was excellent; 82% of the patients preferred this method to transabdominal sonography, 13% expressed no preference, and 5% preferred transabdominal sonography. We conclude that endovaginal sonography can provide significant additional information in the majority of women who are referred for sonography with a suspected ectopic gestation. We believe that this method should become a integral part of sonographic evaluation in women who are suspected of having an ectopic gestation when conventional transabdominal sonography fails to show a living embryo.     

Suspected ectopic pregnancy: endovaginal and transvesical US

Until the advent of endovaginal ultrasonography (US), transvesical US was the only US technique availab le for evaluation of patients with suspected ectopic gestation. A study was undertaken to assess the predictive ability of transvesical and endovaginal US and determine whether endovaginal US could be used alone. Fifty-three patients who had a positive pregnancy test finding and who were at risk for ectopic pregnancy were examined with both endovaginal and transvesical US. Twenty-nine were examined retrospectively and 24 were examined prospectively. Standard sonographic criteria were used to differentiate between intrauterine pregnancy and ectopic gestation. The clinical or pathologic diagnosis was ectopic pregnancy in 18 patients (34%), normal intrauterine pregnancy in 19 (36%), and abnormal intrauterine pregnancy in 16 (30%). Endovaginal US increased the sensitivity of detecting a live ectopic pregnancy (from 6% to 17%). Endovaginal US, by allowing early diagnosis of intrauterine pregnancy, significantly increased the diagnostic accuracy for ectopic pregnancy (from 60% to 83%). Endovaginal US provided significant additional information in women referred for sonography with a suspected ectopic gestation. On the basis of these findings it is concluded that endovaginal US can be used alone in the majority of women with suspected ectopic gestation.     

Extrauterine findings of ectopic pregnancy of transvaginal US: importance of echogenic fluid

Transvaginal ultrasound (US) studies of 232 consecutive patients with positive serum pregnancy tests who were considered to be at risk for ectopic pregnancy were prospectively evaluated to determine the significance of various extrauterine findings, including echogenic fluid in the cul-de-sac. All patients were found to have a surgically proved ectopic gestation (group 1, 68 patients [29.3%]), reliable evidence of intrauterine pregnancy at initial transvaginal US (group 2, 83 patients [35.8%]), or no evidence of pregnancy at initial transvaginal US, but subsequent proof of an intrauterine pregnancy (group 3, 81 patients [34.9%]). Adnexal findings were demonstrated in 45 (66%) group 1 patients, including a living extrauterine embryo in 10 (15%), an extrauterine gestational sac in 21 (31%), and an adnexal mass in 14 (21%). Intraperitoneal fluid was detected in 43 (63%) group 1 patients and in 81 (31%) group 3 patients. Echogenic fluid was the only abnormal finding at US in 10 (15%) group 1 patients and added confidence to the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy in many others. Echogenic fluid correlated with hemoperitoneum at the time of surgery. The presence of echogenic fluid indicates a high risk for ectopic pregnancy in women referred with this clinical indication.     

腹腔镜与开腹手术治疗异位妊娠的临床对比研究

目的通过与开腹手术比较,探讨腹腔镜治疗异位妊娠的临床疗效。方法选择2010年1月～2012年1月64例因异位妊娠在我院进行手术治疗的患者,随机分为研究组和对照组,研究组采用腹腔镜手术,对照组采用开腹手术,比较两组的术中术后情况。结果研究组平均手术时问、肛门排气时间、住院天数短于对照组。术中出血量和镇痛例数少于对照组,差异均有统计学意义（P〈0．01）。两组切口甲级愈合率和月经恢复情况差异无统计学意义（P〉O．05）,工作恢复时间和性生活恢复时间研究组均短于对照组（P〈O．05或〈0．01）。住院费用研究组显著高于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P〈O．01）。结论腹腔镜手术具有创伤小、术后恢复快等优点,但住院费用较高,临床上应根据具体情况决定是否采用腹腔镜手术治疗异估奸娠．     

Emergency department duty: a training model for the future.

Air National Guard (ANG) medical units perform 2 weeks of active duty training each year to develop and maintain essential medical skills. Providing meaningful training is, however, a great challenge to both the Guard unit and its active duty counterpart. Too often, annual training is not a relevant learning experience and so the ability of some Guard medical units to respond to actual medical taskings is compromised. The 135th Tactical Clinic, an ANG medical unit, devised and implemented a unique plan--a plan particularly relevant to the medical support requirements of Operation Desert Shield.     

Cancer yield of mammography, MR, and US in high-risk women: prospective multi-institution breast cancer screening study

PURPOSE: To prospectively determine cancer yield, callback and biopsy rates, and positive predictive value (PPV) of mammography, magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, and ultrasonography (US) in women at high risk for breast cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study was approved by the institutional review board and was HIPAA compliant, and informed consent was obtained. We conducted a prospective pilot study of screening mammography, MR, and US in asymptomatic women 25 years of age or older who were genetically at high risk, defined as BRCA1/BRCA2 carriers or with at least a 20% probability of carrying a BRCA1/BRCA2 mutation. All imaging modalities were performed within 90 days of each other. Data were analyzed by using exact confidence intervals (CIs) and the McNemar test. RESULTS: A total of 195 women were enrolled in this study over a 6-month period, and 171 completed all study examinations (mammography, US, and MR). Average age of the 171 participants was 46 years +/- 10.2 (standard deviation). Sixteen biopsies were performed and six cancers were detected, for an overall 3.5% cancer yield. MR enabled detection of all six cancers; mammography, two; and US, one. The diagnostic yields for each test were 3.5% for MR, 0.6% for US, and 1.2% for mammography. MR, US, and mammography findings prompted biopsy in 8.2%, 2.3%, and 2.3% of patients, respectively. None of the pairwise comparisons were statistically significant. The PPV of biopsies performed as a result of MR was 43%. CONCLUSION: Screening MR imaging had a higher biopsy rate but helped detect more cancers than either mammography or US. US had the highest false-negative rate compared with mammography and MR, enabling detection of only one in six cancers in high-risk women.     

彩超诊断宫内宫外同时活胎妊娠1例

患者女,37岁。孕二产一;因“停经56天,阴道少量流血”就诊。 常规行彩超检查所见：子宫体积增大,宫腔内可见一3．3cm×2．0cm妊娠囊,囊内见胎芽及原始心管搏动。     

Impact of a CAD system in a screen-film mammography screening program: A prospective study

ObjectiveThe purpose of our study was to perform a prospective assessment of the impact of a CAD system in a screen-film mammography screening program during a period of 3 years.Materials and methodsOur study was carried out on a population of 21,855 asymptomatic women (45–65 years). Mammograms were processed in a CAD system and independently interpreted by one of six radiologists.We analyzed the following parameters: sensitivity of radiologist's interpretation (without and with CAD), detection increase, recall rate and positive predictive value of biopsy, CAD's marks, radiologist's false negatives and comparative analysis of carcinomas detected and non-detected by CAD.ResultsDetection rate was 4.3‰. CAD supposed an increase of 0.1‰ in detection rate and 1% in the total number of cases (p < 0.005). The impact on recall rate was not significant (0.4%) and PPV of percutaneous biopsy was unchanged by CAD (20.23%). CAD's marks were 2.7 per case and 0.7 per view. Radiologist's false negatives were 13 lesions which were initially considered as CAD's false positives.ConclusionsCAD supposed a significant increase in detection, without modifications in recall rates and PPV of biopsy. However, better results could have been achieved if radiologists had considered actionable those cases marked by CAD but initially misinterpreted.     

Venous renal tumor extension: a prospective US evaluation

To evaluate the ability of ultrasonography (US) to determine venous tumor extension, we studied 120 consecutive patients with renal neoplasms. The incidence of renal vein involvement in this group was 18%; caval tumor extension occurred in 11% of the patients. Real-time US clearly visualized the entire retrohepatic inferior vena cava (IVC) in 96% of the examinations, and the ipsilateral renal vein was well seen on 88% of the scans. Of the caval sonograms that could be evaluated (115/120), intravascular tumor thrombi were detected in all 13 cases (sensitivity and specificity = 100%). Of the assessable sonograms of the renal vein (105/120), tumor invasion was identified by US in 21 of 22 cases (sensitivity = 95.5%, specificity = 100%). Venous tumor involvement was seen with intravascular lesions of different echogenicity, which caused a neoplastic-induced renal or caval vein enlargement in most cases. Our findings show that US is of great value in the preoperative assessment of intravascular tumor extension and provides a useful alternative to inferior venacavography.     

Suspected appendicitis in children: US and CT--a prospective randomized study

PURPOSE: To evaluate the accuracy of ultrasonography (US) and of abdominal computed tomography (CT) performed in addition to US in the diagnosis of childhood appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six hundred children with suspected appendicitis were included in a prospective randomized study. After clinical examination, the patients were randomly assigned to undergo US only (283 patients) or US with abdominal CT (317 patients). Radiologic findings were correlated with surgical, histopathologic, and clinical follow-up findings. RESULTS: Two hundred forty-four (40.7%) of all patients had appendicitis. In the US only group, US had a sensitivity of 86%, specificity of 95%, positive predictive value of 91%, negative predictive value of 92%, and diagnostic accuracy of 92%. The combination of US and CT performed in the other group yielded a sensitivity of 99%, specificity of 89%, positive predictive value of 87%, negative predictive value of 99%, and diagnostic accuracy of 93%. Analysis of data on US performed in all 600 patients and on CT performed in 317 patients revealed, respectively, sensitivities of 80% and 97%, specificities of 94% and 93%, positive predictive values of 91% and 92%, negative predictive values of 88% and 98%, and diagnostic accuracies of 89% and 95%. The overall negative appendectomy rate was 3.7%; and the perforation rate, 21%. CONCLUSION: US is valuable in the diagnosis of appendicitis in children. In inconclusive cases, performing additional abdominal CT can improve diagnostic accuracy and thereby decrease the negative appendectomy rate without an increase in the perforation rate.     

B超诊断腹腔妊娠1例

患者 女，26岁。因停经5个月，下腹痛3个月，加重伴阴道流血5天入院。     

Uterine arteriovenous malformation complicating a scar ectopic pregnancy

Uterine arterio-venous malformation is characterized by abnormal direct arteriovenous communication without normal intervening capillary network. Acquired uterine arterio-venous malformation in post cesarean scar pregnancy is a rare entity. Classically the patients present with lower abdominal pain and per vaginal bleeding. Pelvic examination may reveal a pulsatile mass. Herein, we present a case of multiparous woman undergoing conservative treatment for caesarian scar pregnancy who presented with vaginal bleeding despite declining beta HCG levels. Review and update of recent literature regarding the diagnostic imaging of this entity are described.     

输卵管妊娠保留输卵管手术治疗141例

目的:探讨保留输卵管手术在异位妊娠要求保留生育能力患者治疗中的重要性。方法:回顾性地详细介绍了141例保留输卵管手术的术式,术中术后及随访的治疗。结论:对比保留输卵管手术与辅助生育技术,阐明了保留输卵管手术的现实意义及重要性,进一步说明腹腔镜下保留输卵管手术的优越性及其将成为未来治疗的趋势,同时又指出在现有腹腔镜技术不能完成的手术时,如间质部妊娠,经腹手术保留输卵管仍是安全可靠的治疗方式。