Ultrasound Journal最新文献

{"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}

{"title":"Bringing anatomy to life: the role of clinical ultrasound in undergraduate medical education - a systematic review.","authors":"Mathilde Brunel, Valentin Sebastian Schäfer, Florian Recker","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00443-3","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00443-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The implementation of ultrasound as point-of-care technique within the medical education has been broadly studied to understand its applicability in clinical settings. More research has been conducted to specifically understand the use of clinical ultrasound in the medical curriculum to learn anatomy. The results of publications on anatomical skills and knowledge outcomes of students related to ultrasound are contradictory. The objectives of this study were to identify and describe common study types and educational programs conducted in anatomy teaching with clinical ultrasound and to describe the impact on learning outcomes.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A literature search from the databases Scopus, PubMed and Google scholar was conducted with keywords related to anatomy learning, ultrasound and medical education. Data from publications were extracted following quantitative and qualitative methods previously described in the literature and adapted to measure the educational outcome.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>In total, 1615 records were detected within all three databases after removing duplicates, 194 were found relevant to the topic and included in the review. Of 194, 128 articles were original studies categorized by their study types and outcomes. A large proportion of the studies were conducted at a single institute, and students were mainly evaluated with post-tests only or with pre- and post-tests. Vascular and cardiac anatomical landmarks were the most frequently instructed areas with ultrasound while ocular and prostate/testicular landmarks were the least. Students agreeing to participate in the ultrasound training were highly motivated and described the sessions as valuable for future clinical practice. The evaluation of anatomical knowledge and skills of students following ultrasound training varied widely, and no clear consensus emerged. Long-term assessments of ultrasound-related anatomy competencies were notably underrepresented in the reviewed studies.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The use of clinical ultrasound in undergraduate anatomy education is implemented through diverse teaching formats and is widely appreciated by medical students. However, standardized methods to assess anatomical understanding of medical students through ultrasound are lacking, impeding the comparison of educational outcomes across studies. Further research is needed to evaluate the long-term retention of skills and knowledge to better determine the effectiveness of ultrasound-based teaching.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"39"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12331568/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144795794","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":"Usefulness of handheld ultrasound devices in the assessment of abdominal pathology and comparison with high-end ultrasound devices.","authors":"Ana Segura-Grau, Ines Salcedo-Joven, Esther Montes-Belloso, Sergio Cinza-Sanjurjo, Antonio Segura-Fragoso, Elena Segura-Grau","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00433-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00433-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and objective: </strong>The EFSUMB recommends the use of handheld ultrasound devices in many point-of-care cases, including primary care. However, it is necessary to continue training in conventional ultrasound examinations. Our aim is to analyze the diagnostic accuracy of handheld ultrasound devices in abdominal pathology compared with conventional high-end ultrasound scanners.</p><p><strong>Methodology: </strong>Agreement study between two ultrasound techniques, (1) POCUS (point-of-care ultrasound), with a General Electric^® Vscan Air device and (2) standard ultrasound with a high-end Samsung RS 80^® ultrasound scanner. Cohen's kappa was used for the analysis. The study was conducted between November 2022 and September 2023 in the general ultrasound unit of the San Francisco de Asís University Hospital in Madrid. It included all patients from the emergency department and the inpatient unit who have been referred for abdominal ultrasound.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 93 patients were included (52.7% were women and the mean age was 65.6 (23.6) years). As regards body mass index (BMI), 11.8% had a BMI over 30 kg/m². Of the scans performed, 69.9% were abdominal and the rest urological. Overall, the degree of agreement between the two tests was 89%, with 100% for liver and bladder pathology, 86.2% for renal pathology and 82.5% for complicated renal pathology. Intestinal (73.3%) and pancreatic (58.1%) pathologies showed the lowest correlation.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The degree of agreement of handheld devices is high (89%), especially in renal and bladder pathologies, where ultrasound is decisive in decision-making. The agreement is weaker in pancreatic and gastrointestinal tract pathologies.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"38"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-08-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12325146/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144785557","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":"Chest ultrasound vs. Radiograph for pneumothorax diagnosis performed by emergency healthcare workers in the emergency department: a systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Jean-Baptiste Bouillon-Minois, Coline Burlet, Resa E Lewiss, Reza Bagheri, Christophe Perrier, Jeannot Schmidt, Frédéric Dutheil","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00441-5","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00441-5","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>The efficacy of bedside chest ultrasonography for the detection and diagnosis of pneumothorax is under debate. We aimed to compare Emergency Healthcare Workers performed chest ultrasonography with chest X-ray in the detection and diagnosis of pneumothorax in the emergency department.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We queried PubMed, Cochrane, ScienceDirect, Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov databases from 2000 through January 2024. We included all studies (both retrospective and prospective) that compared the diagnostic performance of chest ultrasonography with chest radiography, using chest computed tomography as the gold standard. Participants are patients consulting in the emergency department and physician that performed the chest ultrasound was an Emergency Healthcare Workers. Studies reporting the sensitivity and specificity for both chest ultrasonography and chest X-ray met inclusion criteria. We applied a random effects meta-analysis methodology. We then performed a meta-regression analysis to search for influencing variables such as technical parameters of echograph, patients and pneumothorax.</p><p><strong>Main results: </strong>15 studies totaling 3,171 patients were analyzed. 71% of patients were male with a mean age of 40.2 years. The mean prevalence of pneumothorax was 27.6% (95 CI 20.9 to 34.3). Chest ultrasonography had higher sensitivity (79.4%, 68.2 to 90.7) compared to chest X-ray (48.1%, 36.8 to 59.4), and a greater negative predictive value (chest ultrasonography = 94.3%, 91.2 to 97.3, and chest X-ray = 87.9%, 84.1 to 91.6). There was no statistical difference in specificity between the two modalities: chest ultrasonography 99.5%, 99 to 100 and chest X-ray 99.8%, 99.4 to 100) or in positive predictive value (chest ultrasonography 94.2%, 90.5 to 97.9 vs chest X-ray 96.7%,92 to 100). Characteristics of echograph or pneumothorax and patients sociodemographic did not influence results.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In this systematic review and meta-analysis, chest ultrasonography performed by Emergency Healthcare Workers, had greater sensitivity and negative predictive value than chest radiography for the diagnosis of pneumothorax in emergency department patients.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"37"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314293/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144754669","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":"Transcranial sonography window description: a proposal for a rating system.","authors":"Giada Cucciolini","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00428-2","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00428-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"36"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-31","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12314177/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144754670","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":"Is remotely supervised ultrasound (tele-ultrasound) inferior to the traditional service model of ultrasound with an in-person imaging specialist? A systematic review.","authors":"Thy Lai, Tania Stafinski, Jeremy Beach, Devidas Menon","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00440-6","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00440-6","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Tele-ultrasound is known to offer potential benefits such as improved access and cost efficiency, but concerns still exist about image quality, operator skill, and data security. This study aimed to determine whether remotely supervised ultrasound is inferior to traditional in-centre ultrasound with an in-person imaging specialist regarding patient care quality, service quality, and access to care.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic search for a critical appraisal of relevant peer-reviewed published literature, as well as a jurisdictional scan of relevant regulations and standards in other Canadian jurisdictions, was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of the original 6051 discrete records identified through the search, 18 studies were selected for inclusion in the review. They originated from 11 countries, and the patient populations spanned infants, children, adults, and pregnant women. The medical applications were echocardiography (including fetal), obstetrical ultrasound, breast ultrasound, thyroid ultrasound, and abdominal ultrasound. The distance between the tele-ultrasound site and the reference site ranged from 23 to 365 km, or a 30 to 45-min drive. In 3 studies, tele-ultrasound images were acquired in one country (India, Peru) and interpreted in another (US or UK). The majority of studies reported good diagnostic accuracy (the proportion of agreement between tele-ultrasound and in-centre ultrasound ranged from 43.4% to 100%, sensitivity ranged from 43% to 97%, and specificity ranged from 77.4% to 100% across studies and tele-ultrasound application). Details are displayed in Supplementary Table 2. There was limited evidence on patients' and providers' perspectives on tele-ultrasound, but in the studies identified, more than half of the patients surveyed felt that tele-ultrasound was acceptable. Additionally, all comments from providers were positive, including their perspectives on the value of tele-ultrasound. The image quality results were mixed. Some studies found that image quality ranged from at least sufficient quality for diagnosis to excellent. However, some other studies reported inadequate image quality in up to 36.8% of cases. It is possible that this range of responses may be due to the varying technical ability/capacity of local tele-ultrasound systems to acquire and transmit images to a remote reader. Cost savings associated with tele-ultrasound were also reported and attributed mainly to travel costs for patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There is no consistent evidence that tele-ultrasound is inferior to in-centre ultrasound, although further high-quality studies are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"34"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12304338/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144733675","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":"Critical upward shift of intracranial pressure levels in extremely obese patients; normalization due to bariatric surgery.","authors":"Nabil Al Shammas, Robert Luck, Sophie Schumann, Dragana Köhler, Lutz Mirow, Bernhard Rosengarten","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00439-z","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00439-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Increase in body mass index (BMI) is a risk factor for idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). The matter of body weight and intracranial pressure (ICP) in clinically asymptomatic obese patients is unknown. We aimed at studying the relationship of ICP and BMI pre- and post-surgery in obese patients undergoing bariatric surgery.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with a BMI > 35 kg/m², qualified for bariatric surgery and without clinical signs of IIH were prospectively and consecutively included. The optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) and a combined transcranial Doppler-arterial blood pressure (TCD&ABP-ICP) method were used to non-invasively determine the ICP (nICP) pre- and post-surgery (six months after surgery when weight loss had stabilized). ONSD > 5.8 mm and nICP > 25cmH₂O were assumed as pathologically increased. A nICP between > 20 and ≤ 25 cmH2O was assumed as being in the borderline.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>54 patients (43 female; 44 ± 11 years old) were included. Pre-surgery BMI (46 ± 6 kg/m²) significantly declined after surgery (post-surgery BMI: 32 ± 6 kg/m2; paired t-test: p < 0.0001). Initial ONSD was 5.8 ± 0.6 mm (6 pathological values) which declined to 5.4 ± 0.6 mm (5 pathological values) (paired t-test: p < 0.025). TCD&ABP assessed nICP was 19 ± 4.5 cmH₂O (5 with pathological, 16 with borderline values) pre-surgically and declined to 14 ± 4 cmH₂O (no pathological, 1 high-normal value) after surgery (p < 0.0001).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Assuming the low incidence of IIH, the frequency of pathologic and borderline ICP values in obese patients was unexpectedly high. Reduction of ICP with weight loss followed a simple regression line pointing to a mechanistic effect of increased body weight on ICP. The constancy of pathologic ONSD values might be due to a fixed dilatation of the optic nerve sheath due to the duration of obesity.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"35"},"PeriodicalIF":2.9,"publicationDate":"2025-07-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12304339/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144733664","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 - a useful method for diagnosing tubal ectopic pregnancy with low level β-HCG.","authors":"Jingping Wu, Xinyu Chen, Qiong Wu, Na Wei, Guifang An, Hairong Yu, Ning Wang","doi":"10.1186/s13089-025-00438-0","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s13089-025-00438-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>In patients presenting with atypical symptoms or low plasma β-HCG levels, the presence of an adnexal mass without a yolk sac or embryo on ultrasound often provides insufficient confidence for a definitive diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy(EP). Consequently, most such cases can only be classified as suspected EP. This study aimed to evaluate the diagnostic value of contrast enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) for tubal EP (tEP). We retrospectively analyzed 21 patients with suspected EP who underwent CEUS between August 2017 and August 2024. All patients had plasma β-HCG levels below 3500 mIU/mL. Among them, 20 underwent laparoscopic surgery, and all underwent curettage. The diagnostic performance of CEUS for tEP was assessed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A total of 21 patients were included: 19 with tEP, 1 with ovarian pregnancy, and 1 with intrauterine pregnancy. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) for diagnosing tubal dilation were 15.8%, 100%, and 23.8%, respectively. For CEUS, these values were 94.7%, 100%, and 95.2%, respectively. Statistically significant differences were observed between CEUS and TVUS in sensitivity and accuracy (P = 0.000). The enhancement pattern of villous tissue was categorized as either circular or non-circular. Among the tEP cases, 2 exhibited circular enhancement and 17 showed non-circular enhancement. Based on positive β-HCG, absence of an intrauterine gestational sac, and sonographic visualization of a dilated fallopian tube containing either circular or non-circular enhancement internally, CEUS demonstrated high diagnostic accuracy for tEP diagnosis in cases with low β-HCG levels. CEUS correctly diagnosed 18 of 19 tEP cases. One tEP case was diagnosed as a mass of uncertain significance. The intrauterine pregnancy case was misdiagnosed as an EP. The ovarian pregnancy case was diagnosed as EP, though CEUS indicated a relatively high possibility of ovarian origin.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In conclusion, CEUS holds significant diagnostic value for tEP. It is particularly useful in diagnostically unclear cases and provides a more detailed assessment of the internal structure of adnexal masses.</p>","PeriodicalId":36911,"journal":{"name":"Ultrasound Journal","volume":"17 1","pages":"33"},"PeriodicalIF":3.4,"publicationDate":"2025-07-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC12287497/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"144691872","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}