Journal of Medical Ultrasonics最新文献

{"title":"Does the addition of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography to B-mode ultrasonography improve diagnostic accuracy for breast cancer? A systematic review and meta-analysis.","authors":"Shotaro Inoue, Kazuaki Nakashima, Kazutaka Nakashima, Tomonari Kunihisa, Koichi Hirokaga, Kaori Tane, Yoshihito Goto, Takeo Nakayama","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01682-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01682-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>This study aimed to determine whether the addition of contrast-enhanced ultrasonography (CEUS) to B-mode ultrasonography improves diagnostic accuracy in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A comprehensive literature search was performed using PubMed (MEDLINE), Ichushi, and the Cochrane Library up to July 2025. Eligible studies assessed the diagnostic performance of CEUS for suspected breast cancer, with histopathology as the reference standard. Pooled sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Eleven studies comprising 1987 patients with 2051 lesions were included. The pooled sensitivity and specificity of B-mode ultrasonography alone were 86.1% (95% confidence interval [CI] 81.5-89.7) and 70.8% (95%CI 60.7-79.2), respectively. For B-mode alone, the pooled DOR was 15.0 (95%CI 9.7-23.3), with an LR + of 2.95 (95% CI 2.18-3.99) and an LR - of 0.20 (95% CI 0.15-0.26). In contrast, CEUS was associated with improved pooled estimates of diagnostic performance, yielding a pooled sensitivity of 93.4% (95%CI 89.0-96.2) and a specificity of 85.8% (95%CI 80.9-89.6). The pooled DOR for CEUS was 86.3 (95%CI 48.0-155.4), with an LR + of 6.59 (95%CI 4.89-8.87) and an LR - of 0.08 (95%CI 0.05-0.13).</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>Pooled diagnostic estimates were higher in studies evaluating CEUS combined with B-mode ultrasonography than in studies evaluating B-mode ultrasonography alone, particularly by increasing specificity in differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions. However, these findings are based on indirect comparisons and should be interpreted with caution.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857843","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Dendritic U-Net for robust vascular wall segmentation in ultrasound imaging.","authors":"Kazuki Nagura, Masaaki Omura, Hongpeng Wang, Ryoya Kodaira, Yuuri Hamai, Yusuke Sato, Zihang Zhang, Zhenyu Lei, Hideyuki Hasegawa, Shangce Gao","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01675-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01675-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>We proposed a method that combines the deep learning model U-Net with a dendritic neuron model (DNM) and demonstrated its effectiveness for more robust extraction of vascular wall boundaries through analysis using ultrasound simulations and in vivo carotid artery data.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Dendritic U-Net (DU-Net) is a model that replaces the output layer of U-Net with a DNM. Its accuracy was compared to U-Net using cross-validation on a dataset generated by ultrasound simulation. The applicability of the model trained on the simulation dataset to clinical data was also verified using an in vivo dataset of a healthy human carotid artery. The noise robustness of the results was evaluated using the mean absolute difference (MAD) within the scanline and frame of the extracted vessel wall boundaries from the segmentation map.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Cross-validation using the simulation data showed that DU-Net achieved higher accuracy than U-Net in terms of precision (93.64%), Dice (96.38%), and Intersection over Union (93.01%). Furthermore, evaluation of the MAD of the extracted vessel wall boundaries from the in vivo data demonstrated that DU-Net produced smoother boundaries than U-Net.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Incorporating DNM into U-Net suppresses the impact of noise on vessel wall boundary extraction, demonstrating the effectiveness of the proposed DU-Net method for vessel wall boundary extraction.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-29","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148857875","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Starry sky liver sign on ultrasonography is more strongly associated with ketosis than with acute gastroenteritis in children with vomiting.","authors":"Tomoki Sato, Ayako Sakuma, Hanaka Kimura, Rika Okano","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01677-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01677-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate whether the starry sky liver (SSL) sign is more strongly associated with blood ketone levels than with clinically defined acute gastroenteritis, and to assess the clinical utility of a quantitative ultrasound index, i.e., the SSL scale, in pediatric patients presenting with vomiting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>We retrospectively analyzed 122 pediatric patients presenting with vomiting who underwent liver ultrasonography and blood testing, including blood ketone levels. The SSL scale was calculated using grayscale histogram analysis of B-mode ultrasound images. Associations between the SSL scale and clinical variables were evaluated using correlation and multivariate regression analyses. Logistic regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses were performed to assess the ability of the SSL scale to detect elevated ketone levels (≥ 2.0 mmol/L).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The SSL scale showed a significant negative correlation with log-transformed ketone levels (r = - 0.47, P < 0.001) and remained independently associated in multivariate analysis (β = - 4.87, P = 0.003). Acute gastroenteritis was not independently associated with the SSL scale. The SSL scale demonstrated good discriminative performance for detecting elevated ketone levels, with an area under the curve of 0.78 (95% confidence interval: 0.70-0.84), sensitivity of 87.3%, specificity of 59.3%, positive predictive value of 69.6%, and negative predictive value of 81.4%. These findings were consistent across different ultrasound systems.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The SSL scale was independently associated with blood ketone levels, whereas clinically defined acute gastroenteritis was not independently associated after adjustment. These findings suggest that ketosis or fasting-related metabolic changes may contribute to the appearance of the SSL sign. The SSL scale may serve as a useful adjunctive noninvasive imaging marker for assessing metabolic status in pediatric patients with vomiting.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-28","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148851955","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Artificial intelligence in ultrasound imaging for carpal tunnel syndrome: what clinicians need to know.","authors":"Renu Ambardar, Ahmad J Abdulsalam, Anant Mishra","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01664-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01664-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>This review examines artificial intelligence (AI) applications in ultrasound imaging for carpal tunnel syndrome diagnosis. Deep learning models have achieved Dice coefficients exceeding 0.85 for median nerve segmentation and diagnostic accuracy with area under the curve values up to 0.926, often matching specialist performance. However, methodological limitations exist: only three of 13 included studies (23%) performed external validation, and most used single-center retrospective designs. No prospective clinical trials have demonstrated improved patient outcomes. We critically appraise study quality, discuss current limitations, and provide practical recommendations for clinicians considering AI integration into their practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148763190","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Prone transabdominal ultrasonography improves pancreatic tail visualization: a prospective study using CT-ultrasound fusion imaging.","authors":"Ryohei Kumano, Takuya Ishikawa, Kentaro Yamao, Yasuyuki Mizutani, Tadashi Iida, Kenta Yamamoto, Takeshi Yamamura, Kazuhiro Furukawa, Takashi Honda, Hiroki Kawashima","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01673-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01673-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To determine whether prone-position transabdominal ultrasonography improves pancreatic tail visualization compared with conventional supine scanning, as assessed using computed tomography-transabdominal ultrasonography (CT-TUS) fusion imaging.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This prospective observational study included 50 patients (34 males; median age, 64.5 [interquartile range, 56.5-72] years) undergoing evaluation for pancreatobiliary diseases using TUS and contrast-enhanced CT. Using Smart Fusion technology, CT and real-time TUS images were synchronized, and the pancreatic tail visualization rate was compared between the images obtained in supine and prone positions. Interobserver agreement for the measurable tail length in the prone position was assessed using the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC: 3,1). Factors associated with pancreatic tail visualization, including sex, age, height, waist circumference, pancreatic tail length and abnormalities, and the renal-pancreatic tail distance, were analyzed using univariate and multivariate regression analyses.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The pancreatic tail visualization rate, i.e., proportion of the total tail length visible on TUS compared with that on CT scan, was 37.4% with supine transverse epigastric scanning combined with left subcostal scanning, which was significantly higher (58.2%) when left subcostal scanning was replaced by prone scanning (P < 0.001). Multivariate analysis revealed that increased age was associated with decreased visualization, whereas pancreatic tail abnormalities and a shorter renal-pancreatic tail distance were significantly associated with improved visualization. The interobserver agreement was excellent (ICC [3,1]: 0.903).</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Prone-position scanning significantly improves pancreatic tail visualization compared with the conventional supine method and represents a simple and noninvasive modification of routine ultrasonographic practice.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148708295","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of perithyroidal adhesion after thermal ablation of thyroid nodules: a self-controlled study.","authors":"Shiliang Cao, Zhenlong Zhao, Ying Wei, Jie Wu, Lili Peng, Yan Li, Shuqi Li, Ming-An Yu","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01672-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01672-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Patients with recurrent or new thyroid nodules after first ablation occasionally require repeat thermal ablation (re-ablation). However, there has been no research focused on perithyroidal adhesion and complications in re-ablation of thyroid nodules. This study aimed to investigate the incidence of perithyroidal adhesion and complication in re-ablation of thyroid nodules.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This retrospective self-controlled study enrolled a total of 71 patients who underwent re-ablation of thyroid nodules located in the same lobes as the first ablation. Perithyroidal adhesion at re-ablation was evaluated with hydrodissection in ultrasound images during surgery. Perithyroidal adhesion and complications at re-ablation were compared to those at first ablation.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Definite adhesion was not encountered at either re-ablation or first ablation. Partial adhesion occurred in two cases (2.7%, 2/71) at re-ablation and no cases at first ablation. Re-ablation and first ablation did not differ in terms of the occurrence of definite and partial adhesion (p = 0.49). Major complications were encountered in one case (1.4%, 1/71) during re-ablation and three cases (4.2%, 3/71) during first ablation. Minor complications were encountered in one case (1.4%, 1/71) during re-ablation and two cases (2.8%, 2/71) during first ablation. There were no significant differences between re-ablation and first ablation in rates of total (p = 0.43), major (p = 0.61), and minor (p = 1.00) complications.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Thermal ablation did not induce definite adhesion in the perithyroidal soft tissue of patients with thyroid nodules. Partial adhesion was rare and had no clinical impact. The incidence of complications during re-ablation was not higher than that at first ablation.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148686568","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Correction: Multicenter study of fetal crown-rump length measurement using 3D ultrasound in assisted reproductive technology pregnancies.","authors":"Ritsuko K Pooh, Megumi Machida, Kohtaro Uenishi, Takahito Miyake, Toshiyuki Hata, Rikikazu Sugiyama, Masahide Shiotani, Kenji Furui, Tetsunori Mukaida, Atsumi Yoshida, Fumitoshi Koga, Motowo Nabeta, Koichi Kyono, Yoshiharu Morimoto","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01680-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01680-2","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148674626","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound criteria for shallow T2 extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma-Comment on Okaniwa S. Advanced ultrasound diagnosis of extrahepatic bile duct lesions. J Med Ultrasonics. 2025;52:69-83.","authors":"Taketoshi Fujimoto","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01671-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10396-026-01671-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148664906","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound-guided cervical selective nerve root block with or without steroid.","authors":"Shuhei Iwata, Atsushi Kojima, Kenji Hatakeyama, Seiji Ohtori","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01646-4","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01646-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare short-term pain trajectories after ultrasound (US)-guided cervical selective nerve root block (SNRB) using a steroid-containing injectate versus a no-steroid injectate in patients with cervical radicular pain.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This single-center prospective comparative study used time-period-based allocation of injectate. Consecutive patients undergoing a first-time US-guided cervical SNRB between 2021 and 2024 were reviewed. The steroid group received 1% lidocaine 1 mL + normal saline 2 mL + betamethasone 4 mg (1 mL). The no-steroid group received 1% lidocaine 1 mL + normal saline 3 mL. Pain intensity was assessed using the numerical rating scale (NRS; 0-10) at baseline, 15 min, day 1, day 2, and day 14. The primary analysis used a mixed model for repeated measures (MMRM) with group, time, and group-by-time interaction; the primary estimand was the between-group difference in change from baseline to day 14. Secondary analyses estimated between-group differences at each post-baseline time point. Safety outcomes included procedure-related complications and 3-month clinical course.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Of 97 screened patients, 70 were analyzed (steroid: n = 43, no-steroid: n = 27). Baseline NRS was similar (6.98 ± 2.38 vs 6.93 ± 2.29). The group-by-time interaction was significant (p = 0.0036). At day 14, the steroid group showed greater improvement than the no-steroid group (MMRM between-group difference in change: - 1.55; p = 0.0077). Model-based differences favored steroid from 15 min through day 14. No procedure-related complications occurred; six patients underwent surgery during 3-month follow-up.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>In US-guided cervical SNRB, adding betamethasone was associated with superior short-term pain improvement without observed complications.</p>","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148654929","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Takotsubo syndrome complicated by worsening left ventricular outflow tract obstruction during intra-aortic balloon pumping, leading to challenging heart failure management.","authors":"Mari Ohmori, Kensuke Hirasawa, Yosuke Yamakami, Makoto Araki, Mie Ochida, Yu Hatano, Tetsuo Sasano","doi":"10.1007/s10396-026-01663-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10396-026-01663-3","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":50130,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Medical Ultrasonics","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.1,"publicationDate":"2026-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148654997","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}