Sonographic features of benign thyroid nodules: interobserver reliability and overlap with malignancy.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively determine the sonographic findings of nodular hyperplasia of the thyroid, to compare these with reported findings associated with malignancy, and to assess interobserver reliability. METHODS: Seventy thyroid nodules were scanned, and then biopsies of the nodules were performed under sonographic guidance with fine-needle cytologic analysis; in all cases images were reviewed by 2 experienced radiologists without knowledge of clinical outcome. Findings reported associated with malignancy were specifically assessed. Interobserver agreement between the expert and secondary readers for each finding was calculated by the kappa or weighted kappa statistic and the Fisher exact test of independence. RESULTS: There were 68 benign and 2 malignant nodules in a population of 63 female and 7 male patients. The mean benign nodule size was 2.9 cm; 60% were solid; 54% were hypoechoic; 59% were microlobulated or macrolobulated; 47% had central vascularity; 24% contained calcifications; and 82% were elliptical in shape. There was very good interobserver reliability for the presence of calcium (kappa = 0.91) and good agreement for the presence and location of vascularity (kappa = 0.75) and the amount of cystic components (kappa = 0.62; all P < .01). CONCLUSIONS: Sixty-nine percent of benign nodules had at least 1 finding reported previously as associated with malignancy. The interobserver reliability of the sonographic findings was good to very good for 3 of the 5 findings assessed.     

Smoking and hypertension: risk factors for carotid stenosis

Summary The prevalence of smoking, hypertension and diabetes mellitus was assessed in 221 patients suffering from internal carotid stenosis and compared with the prevalences in two sex- and age-matched control groups composed of subjects having normal Doppler findings and from non-neurological outpatients. Of the subjects with carotid stenosis 27.6% were hypertensive smokers in comparison with 9.5% and 17.2% in the two control groups. The difference of the stenosis cohort from the two control groups was significant (P<0.01 and P=0.016 respectively). There was no statistically significant differences between the occurrence of diabetes and hypertension in non-smokers and patients who smoked. In 394 investigated patients suffering from carotid stenosis or occlusion an obstruction index, based on the Doppler shift frequency, was calculated. This index was lowest in the normotentive non-smokers. It was only insignificantly higher in the hypertensive non-smokers but significantly so in the normotensive smokers. The index was highest in the hypertensive non-smokers. It was concluded that cigarette smoking, especially if associated with hypertension, is a determinant risk factor for carotid stenosis and occlusion.     

经颅彩色双功超声在脑血管疾病中的临床应用和进展

经颅彩色双功超声是一种新型、无创的超声诊断仪,高空间分辨率显示颅内血管和脑实质的结构,笔者查阅了近年来相关文献,主要综述经颅彩色多普勒血流显像在颅脑血管疾病中的诊断价值,同时讨论二维经颅超声的应用及新的实验性显像技术。     

经腹及经阴道B超监测卵泡发育的评估

应用经腹及经阴道B超对68名不孕症妇女,139个月经周期进行卵泡发育及排卵监测。卵泡检出率TAUS为90.6％,TVUS为98.0％,显著高于前者,P<0.05。成熟卵泡特征影象(卵丘等)在TVUS显象率较高。TVUS监测卵泡发育更实用可靠。     

彩色多普勒超声在肝细胞癌经动脉化疗栓塞术后的应用

对于失去手术机会的肝细胞肝癌,介入治疗是目前比较公认的首选治疗方法,但因其复发、转移率高,故术后寻找一种简便、有效的监测方法客观评价其疗效显得尤其重要。本文综述了彩色多普勒超声在肝细胞肝癌经动脉化疗栓塞术后评价的应用,及与其他影像学方法比较和其优势所在。     

经阴道宫腔声学造影诊断子宫内膜息肉的价值

目的:探讨经阴道子宫腔造影技术(Transvaginal sonohysterography,SHG)诊断子宫内膜息肉的价值。材料和方法:对39例有异常阴道出血者行SHG检查,并将检查结果与经阴道超声(Transvaginal sonography,TVS)、诊断性刮宫或宫腔镜所获得的结果进行比较分析。结果:病理证实的子宫内膜息肉34例,粘膜下子宫肌瘤3例,子宫内膜增生1例。SHG诊断子宫内膜息肉32例,均可清晰地显示宫腔轮廓和病灶的形态,30例与内膜界限清楚,可见病灶附着部位,23例于结节内部或蒂部显示血流信号;TVS诊断子宫内膜息肉26例,均可见子宫内膜稍强回声结节,其中19例边界清楚,6例可见病灶附着部位;8例结节内部或蒂部显示血流。使用TVS34例均未显示宫腔的轮廓。本组子宫内膜病例在宫腔轮廓及病灶附着部位方面SHG和TVS的显示率分别为94.1%、88.2%和0%、17.6%。SHG明显优于TVS(P<0.001)。SHG诊断粘膜下子宫肌瘤3例,回声与基底部的子宫肌层相似,略低于子宫内膜,病灶基底部与子宫肌层无界限,表面可见内膜与造影剂构成的亮线,1例可见蒂部,CDFI显示2例内部血流丰富,1例见肌层血管穿入病灶。TVS诊断粘膜下子宫肌瘤2例,表现为为子宫内膜低回声结节,1例子宫内膜呈非均质改变,CDFI可见内部丰富的血流信号(SHG显示宫腔内为2枚粘膜下子宫肌瘤,已得到HSC证实)。结论:SHG能明显提高病变的显示率,对于子宫内膜息肉的术前诊断具有重要的临床价值。     

超声造影诊断肝孤立性坏死结节的价值

目的:探讨超声造影诊断肝孤立性坏死结节的价值。材料和方法:回顾分析了12例肝孤立性坏死结节的超声造影表现。结果:12例病灶造影动脉期、门脉期、实质期均无增强,呈边界清晰的造影剂充盈缺损区。结论:超声造影对诊断肝孤立性坏死结节具有较高的价值。目的:探讨超声造影诊断肝孤立性坏死结节的价值。材料和方法:回顾分析了12例肝孤立性坏死结节的超声造影表现。结果:12例病灶造影动脉期、门脉期、实质期均无增强,呈边界清晰的造影剂充盈缺损区。结论:超声造影对诊断肝孤立性坏死结节具有较高的价值。