Ultrasound Journal最新文献

{"title":"Cerebrovascular reactivity metrics as predictors of cognitive performance in healthy ageing: insights from transcranial colour-coded ultrasound.","authors":"Joseph Amihere Ackah, Xiangyan Chen, Huixing Zeng, Jingxin Zhong, Jason Tsz Lok Chan, Michael Lung Cheung Lo, Jing Cai","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00445-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00445-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>This study was designed to investigate the utility of cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) metrics, derived from transcranial colour-coded Doppler ultrasound (TCCD). Three main CVR metrics were examined as potential markers for cerebrovascular risk associated with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), a stage between normal cognition and dementia.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We investigated 122 eligible, stroke-free, healthy, community-based Chinese adults (mean age, 65.34 ± 6.86 years). Cognitive performance was assessed using the validated Hong Kong version of the Montreal Cognitive Assessment. On a scale of 0-30, participants with low scores < 26 (modelled according to level of education) were designated to have a mild neurocognitive disorder or MCI. Following the measurement of cerebrovascular conductance (CVC) derived from cerebral blood flow and mean arterial pressure, three physiologic CVR metrics were assessed. The CVR assessments were based on restricted 30 s breath-holding, 60 s hyperventilation, and an unrestricted breath-holding index (BHI), respectively quantified using transcranial colour-coded Doppler ultrasound. The predictabilities and associations between CVR metrics, haemodynamic parameters, and cognitive performance were statistically investigated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Using TCCD, BHI emerged as the most accurate and robust metric of CVR for predicting mild cognitive disorders [AUC 0.827 (95% CI 0.725, 0.930)] and independently predicted overall cognitive performance, highlighting its clinical value for early identification of at-risk individuals. The three CVR metrics outperformed CVC in predicting mild cognitive impairment and were distinctively correlated. Although CVR measures by breath-holding and BHI were closely related (r = 0.704, 95% CI 0.598, 0.786, p < 0.001), Bland-Altman analysis revealed that they are not interchangeable, indicating the importance of metric selection for accurate cerebrovascular assessment.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The BHI, derived from simple and clinically tolerable methods, demonstrates clear potential to enhance the prediction and early identification of vascular cognitive impairment in healthy adults. By leveraging insights from cerebral haemodynamics, TCCD-based cerebrovascular risk screening may enable more effective and targeted interventions, ultimately contributing to better long-term cognitive health outcomes.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"49"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12511511/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145253139","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Intrarenal venous flow patterns and their association with successful fluid removal in critically ill patients: a prospective observational exploratory study.","authors":"Chailat Maluangnon, Apatsara Saokaew, Satit Rojwatcharapibarn, Ranistha Ratanarat","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00447-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00447-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Determining the optimal timing for fluid removal in critically ill patients remains a challenge. This study evaluated the utility of Doppler ultrasound, specifically intrarenal venous flow (IRVF) patterns and venous excess ultrasound (VExUS) scores, and their associations with fluid removal outcomes, hemodynamic parameters, and clinical endpoints.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective observational exploratory study, 52 intensive care unit (ICU) patients who underwent fluid removal were enrolled. Baseline IRVF patterns and VExUS scores were assessed, with follow-up evaluations performed daily for three days. The primary outcome was to evaluate whether IRVF patterns were associated with successful fluid removal, defined as achieving a negative fluid balance for at least two consecutive days. Secondary outcomes included associations with central venous pressure (CVP), NT-proBNP, cumulative fluid balance, and clinical outcomes.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirty-one patients (59.6%) achieved successful fluid removal. A discontinuous baseline IRVF pattern was independently associated with successful fluid removal (adjusted odds ratio 4.31, 95% CI 1.02-18.18; P = 0.047). This pattern demonstrated high sensitivity of 87.1% (95% CI 70.2-96.4), moderate specificity of 42.9% (95% CI 21.8-66.0), and accuracy of 69.2% (95% CI 54.9-81.3). VExUS scores grades 2-3 demonstrated high specificity of 85.7% (95% CI 63.7-97.0) but low sensitivity of 29.0% (95% CI 14.2-48.0), with an accuracy of 51.9% (95% CI 37.6-66.0). An improvement in the IRVF pattern was significantly correlated with a reduction in NT-proBNP levels (P = 0.048). However, neither IRVF patterns nor VExUS scores improvements were associated with changes in fluid balance, CVP, or clinical outcomes such as 28-day mortality, ventilator-free days, or ICU length of stay.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Discontinuous IRVF patterns at baseline were significantly associated with fluid removal success, representing a physiologically based marker for deresuscitation readiness. More large-scale studies are warranted to validate these findings and explore long-term implications. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier NCT06216119. Registered 22 January 2024, https://clinicaltrials.gov/study/NCT06216119.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"44"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12501087/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233530","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Lung ultrasound assessment of pulmonary effects of large patent ductus arteriosus in extremely preterm infants beyond the transitional period.","authors":"Thanaa Elhanafy, Nehad Nasef, Jenna Ibrahim, Rana Awadalla, Amish Jain, Adel Mohamed","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00450-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00450-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Several studies have suggested a positive association between elevated lung ultrasound scores (LUS) and large patent ductus arteriosus (L-PDA), although findings remain inconsistent. Lung ultrasound score, a semi-quantitative measure of pulmonary aeration loss, has been proposed as a surrogate marker of excessive lung fluid, which may reflect the hemodynamic burden of a significant PDA. The aim of this study was to assess the association between LUS and L-PDA in preterm neonates beyond the initial transitional period and examine its correlations with echocardiographic measures of ductal shunting. This is a cohort retrospective study that included preterm infants born at < 29 weeks' gestation who underwent LUS within 24 h of targeted neonatal echocardiography. Infants were categorized as having L-PDA (diameter ≥ 1.5 mm, left-to-right shunt) or no/small PDA (< 1.5 mm). Clinical characteristics, LUS, and echocardiographic parameters including PDA diameter, left atrial-to-aortic root (LA: Ao) ratio, and left ventricular output (LVO) were compared. Statistical analyses included univariate, multivariate, and correlation assessments.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among 119 infants included in the analysis, 56 (47%) had L-PDA, and 63 (53%) had no or small PDA. Infants with L-PDA had significantly lower gestational age and higher rates of invasive ventilation.</p><p><strong>Lus, la: </strong>Ao ratio, and LVO were significantly elevated in the L-PDA group (all p < 0.001). LUS correlated with PDA diameter (r = 0.27, p = 0.003) and respiratory severity score (r = 0.49, p < 0.001). Furthermore, LUS was found to be independently predictive for L-PDA (adjusted OR 1.5; 95% CI: 1.1-1.9). Each 1-point increase in LUS was associated with a 0.14 mm increase in PDA diameter. Inter-rater reliability for LUS was strong (IRR = 0.86).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Beyond the transitional period, LUS was significantly associated with PDA size and independently predicted L-PDA in extremely preterm infants.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"47"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12500488/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233538","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating deep learning approaches for AI-assisted lung ultrasound diagnosis: an international multi-center and multi-scanner study.","authors":"Mario Muñoz, Xi Han, Jorge Camacho, Tiziano Perrone, Andrea Smargiassi, Riccardo Inchingolo, Yale Tung-Chen, Libertario Demi","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00451-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00451-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"45"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12500497/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Contrast-enhanced ultrasound for fetal and placental assessment: evidence, safety, and a roadmap for clinical translation.","authors":"Alushika Jain, Rajasbhala P Dhande, Pratapsingh H Parihar, Shivali Kashikar, Nishant Raj, Amit Toshniwal","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00449-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00449-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia, and other placental disorders are leading contributors to perinatal morbidity and mortality, primarily due to impaired uteroplacental perfusion. Existing imaging modalities, such as Doppler ultrasound and fetal MRI, provide indirect or limited functional insights into placental and fetal perfusion, constraining timely clinical intervention.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To evaluate contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) as a promising, safe, and real-time tool for assessing placental perfusion and its potential application in maternal-fetal medicine through comprehensive analysis of methodological parameters, safety profiles, and emerging computational techniques.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive synthesis of preclinical and clinical studies was conducted, focusing on the safety, efficacy, and current use of CEUS in pregnancy. Key findings were drawn from animal models (rats, sheep, macaques) and human studies involving 256 pregnant individuals, with detailed analysis of imaging protocols, contrast agent characteristics, and quantification methods.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>CEUS utilizes intravascular microbubble contrast agents (1-8 μm diameter) that do not cross the placental barrier, enabling safe maternal imaging. However, size distribution analysis reveals sub-micron populations (8-20% by number) requiring careful evaluation. Preclinical models confirm CEUS ability to detect placental perfusion Changes with 54% reduction in perfusion index following uterine artery ligation (p < 0.001). Human studies demonstrate zero clinically significant adverse events among 256 cases, though critical gaps exist including absent biomarker monitoring and long-term follow-up. Emerging AI-enhanced analysis achieves 73-86% diagnostic accuracy using ensemble deep learning architectures. Current limitations include significant protocol heterogeneity (MI 0.05-0.19, frequency 2-9 MHz) and absence of standardization.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>CEUS presents a compelling solution for perfusion imaging in pregnancy, offering functional, bedside imaging without fetal exposure to contrast agents. However, methodological limitations, knowledge gaps regarding long-term outcomes, and the distinction between conventional microbubbles and emerging nanobubble formulations demand systematic research investment. Clinical translation requires standardized protocols, comprehensive safety monitoring including biomarker assessment, ethical oversight, and long-term outcome studies to support integration into routine obstetric care.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"43"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12501096/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233591","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Noninvasive assessment of hemodynamic profile and myocardial mechanics in pulsus alternans patients by multiple echocardiographic methods.","authors":"Rongrong Miao, Tingting Wu, Qilong Wu, Teng Ye, Hui Li, Shusheng Liao","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00448-y","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00448-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Pulsus alternans (PA) is an intriguing phenomenon and a clinically rare entity. Accurately assessing cardiac function in patients with PA remains challenging. This study aims to investigate the myocardial mechanical characteristics and non-invasive hemodynamic profiles of PA patients using multiple echocardiographic imaging modalities.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Clinical and echocardiographic data were retrospectively analysed from 16 patients diagnosed with PA by echocardiography at our hospital between January 2021 and May 2025. In this study, the characteristics of PA were elaborated by multiple echocardiographic methods, and the non-invasive hemodynamic profile was determined by pulse-wave Doppler.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sixteen patients were enrolled. Seven were classified as NYHA class III and six as class IV. Elevated levels of NT-proBNP and hs-cTNT were observed in most patients. Follow-up ranged from 1 to 44 months, and five patients experienced adverse outcomes, including heart transplantation, rehospitalisation, and death. Within this cohort, three patients exhibited biventricular PA, while 13 patients presented with left ventricular (LV) PA. Key hemodynamic parameters varied significantly: LVOT-VTI_{strong beat} ranged from 11.3 cm to 29.2 cm, LVOT-VTI_{weak beat} from 6.8 cm to 22.1 cm, and the variation rate between strong and weak beats (∆LVOT-VTI) ranged from 19 to 52%. Global longitudinal strain (GLS) was significantly reduced in 14 patients (range: - 1.2% to - 10.4%), while peak strain dispersion (PSD) increased (range: 47 ms to 117.5 ms). Two patients were excluded from strain analysis due to suboptimal imaging. Hemodynamic parameters (LVOT-VTI_{strong beat}, LVOT-VTI_{weak beat} and ∆LVOT-VTI) showed strong correlations with GLS in PA patients (r = 0.806, P = 0.001; r = 0.642, P = 0.018 and r = 0.611, P = 0.027, respectively). NT-proBNP was significantly positively related to adverse outcomes in PA patients (r = 0.669, P = 0.012).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Echocardiography is essential for evaluating cardiac function in patients with PA. This study used multiple echocardiographic methods to delineate the characteristics of this intriguing clinical phenomenon. Non-invasive hemodynamic parameters are potentially important for prognosis assessment, and myocardial strain assessment provides valuable insights into myocardial mechanical features. A comprehensive analysis using multimodality imaging is crucial for accurately identifying this disease, potentially enhancing the understanding of the pathophysiological mechanism of PA.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"46"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12500491/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145233613","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pleura-ABCDE - a structured expert-based protocol for neonatal lung ultrasound documentation and interpretation.","authors":"Jan Sandig, Erik Küng, Lukas Aichhorn, Bernhard Schwaberger, Mathias Klemme, Natascha Wagner, Christoph Bührer, Fabian Sternal","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00442-4","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00442-4","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"48"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-10-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12500510/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145239940","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The anti-inflammatory scan: current insights and future perspectives on therapeutic splenic ultrasonography.","authors":"Pierpaolo Di Nicolò, Francesco Corradi","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00446-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00446-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Recent discoveries have identified that physiological anti-inflammatory reflexes are triggered by vagus nerve stimulation (VNS), which offers neuromodulation- performed via implantable or transcutaneous devices-potential therapeutic opportunities. A novel, noninvasive technique using spleen-targeted focused ultrasound stimulation (sFUS) can replicate these effects by triggering the vagus nerve, opening new possibilities for immunomodulation. Early findings suggest that sFUS may evolve into a therapeutic tool to modulate inflammatory responses across a number of diseases. This short communication presents preclinical evidence of efficacy in diverse models of inflammation, discusses the mechanisms underlying sFUS, explores potential translational steps into human application and discusses future directions.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"42"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12454815/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145114429","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"WINFOCUS worldwide survey on central venous catheter insertion and position confirmation practices (CVC-ICON study).","authors":"Francesco Corradi, Giada Cucciolini, Guido Tavazzi, Adrian Wong, Cosmin Balan, Lawrence A Melniker, Arif Hussain, Julina Md Noor, Jacob John Bailey, Anselmo A Abdo Cuza, Alberto Goffi, Gabriele Via","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00429-1","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00429-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Central venous catheters (CVC) are essential in medicine for monitoring, drug and fluid administration, and renal replacement therapy. Complications such as arrhythmias, endothelial damage, thrombosis, or hemothorax might arise from incorrect positioning. Despite evidence showing their reduction using ultrasound to guide insertion and correct tip positioning, and greater accuracy for tip position assessment vs. chest-X-ray (CXR), ultrasound adoption greatly varies worldwide. This study, conducted by the World Interactive Network Focused On Critical Ultrasound (WINFOCUS) aimed to assess global practices in CVC insertion and tip position confirmation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A web-based survey was conducted (April-September 2023) among WINFOCUS members/affiliates across five continents. It assessed clinical backgrounds, CVC insertion and tip position check methods, and reasons for not using ultrasound. Developed by WINFOCUS Research sub-committee, the survey was emailed, with two reminders. Data were analyzed using SPSS 27.0.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 1,227 respondents (5.1% response rate) participated, mainly from Europe (33.5%), Asia (28.3%), and the Americas (30.9%), with 95.4% being physicians. Over half (51.3%) had over six years of experience and placed over 200 CVC, mostly using ultrasound guidance (70% of cases). The internal jugular vein (IJV) was the preferred insertion site (74%). Ultrasound was used for pre-insertion assessment (55%) and vessel puncture (57%) but less for guidewire confirmation (44%). CXR remained the primary method for tip position assessment (52%), while only 12% relied solely on bedside ultrasound. Barriers to exclusive ultrasound use included institutional guidelines (33.9%) and medico-legal concerns (13.8%).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Despite evidence favoring ultrasound for CVC insertion and tip position confirmation, its use remains inconsistent, with CXR still widely used. This survey underscores the need for standardized protocols and training to enhance US adoption, improve patient safety, and reduce CXR reliance.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"41"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12354427/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144856646","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Advances and innovations in ultrasound-based tumor management: current applications and emerging directions.","authors":"Li Rui, Qi Min, Meng Xin, Chen Yujun, Gu Yihong, Yan Ruilong, Wang Bo, Yu Tengfei","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00444-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00444-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>As a crucial medical imaging modality, ultrasonography has emerged as a pivotal tool for tumor diagnosis and treatment owing to its non-invasive nature, real-time imaging capability, and superior resolution. Recent technological advancements have demonstrated unique advantages in early tumor screening, staging, and localization. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), utilizing microbubbles (MBs) and nanobubbles (NBs) to target vascular biomarkers, significantly enhances tumor visualization and demonstrates high sensitivity in molecular imaging. Multimodal ultrasound (MU), incorporating techniques such as elastography and automated breast volume scanning (ABVS), achieves improved diagnostic accuracy when combined with MRI/CT. The applications of ultrasound in localized and systemic tumor therapy have expanded considerably. High-intensity focused ultrasound (HIFU) enables thermal ablation of solid tumors, while low-intensity focused ultrasound (LIFU) facilitates sonodynamic therapy (SDT) through reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation mediated by sonosensitizers. Ultrasound-assisted drug delivery systems (US-DDS) leverage MB/NB cavitation effects to enhance chemotherapeutic agent delivery efficiency, overcome biological barriers, including the blood-brain barrier, and modulate immune responses. These technological breakthroughs have provided novel therapeutic options for cancer patients, garnering significant clinical interest. This review systematically examines current applications of ultrasound imaging and therapy in oncology, evaluates its potential clinical value, analyzes existing technical limitations, and discusses future development prospects. The article aims to provide innovative perspectives for tumor diagnosis and treatment while offering references for clinical practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"40"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12344075/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144822797","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}