Journal of Ultrasound最新文献

{"title":"Additional ultrasound in women with dense breasts in a breast cancer-screening program based on digital breast tomosynthesis: evidences on cancer detection, false positives and associated costs.","authors":"Giovanna Romanucci, Marco Conti, Delia Moretti, Francesca Fornasa, Claudia Rossati, Lisa Zantedeschi, Oscar Tommasini, Paolo Belli, Rossella Rella","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01140-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01140-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Breast density is associated with increased risk of breast cancer (BC) and reduces mammography performance. Supplemental ultrasound (US) improves the performance of mammography screening programs in women with dense breasts but only few evidences are available about its added value when digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT) screening is performed. Our study evaluated the contribution of US in detecting BC in women with dense breasts in a screening program based on DBT. From February 2022 to October 2023, asymptomatic women (age range, 50-69 years) attending BC Screening in Verona, Italy, were prospectively recruited. Women underwent DBT and automatic breast density evaluation. Participants with negative DBT and dense breasts were invited to additional breast US. 785/12351 (6.3%) consecutive eligible women had dense breasts. BC was suspected on the basis of DBT in 106/785 (13.5%) women and 5 cancers were diagnosed [cancer detection rate (CDR) for DBT = 6.37 per 1000 screens]. 584/679 (86.0%) DBT-negative patients agreed to US and the incremental CDR of US was 1.7 per 1000 women (1/584). US caused additional investigations in 6/584 (1.03%) women (6 core biopsies) with a benign result in 5/584 (0.86%). The cost per each additional cancer detected by US only was € 25,961,95. In conclusion, in a DBT-based screening setting, the benefit of adding US for women with dense breasts is limited and entails substantial costs.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147460674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound features of adenomyosis and diagnostic challenges.","authors":"Karine Tokhunts, Izabella Mazmanyan, Armine Chopikyan, Karine Arustamyan, Nelly Abgaryan, Shushanik Sargsyan, Marianna Adamyan","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01132-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01132-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Adenomyosis is a common but frequently underdiagnosed gynecological disorder with significant implications for fertility and reproductive outcomes. Despite advances in imaging, accurate recognition remains challenging due to operator dependency, uterine anatomical variations, and ultrasound artifacts that may mimic disease features.</p><p><strong>Objective: </strong>To illustrate the sonographic spectrum of adenomyosis in subfertile women using two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) transvaginal ultrasound, evaluate age-related differences in ultrasound lesion morphology, and identify common diagnostic pitfalls encountered during routine scanning.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A prospective observational study was conducted between 2022 and 2024 across three reproductive medicine centers. A total of 658 women aged 20-40 years undergoing infertility assessment were examined by 2D and 3D transvaginal ultrasound. After excluding 140 cases with inadequate visualization, 518 participants were analyzed. Adenomyosis was diagnosed in 149 women (28.8%) according to the Morphological Uterus Sonographic Assessment (MUSA) criteria. Ultrasound features were compared between two age groups: 20-35 years (n = 103) and 36-40 years (n = 46).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>The prevalence of adenomyosis was higher in the 36-40-year group (35.9%) compared to the younger group (26.4%). The diffuse form of adenomyosis predominated (65.1%) and was significantly more frequent in the older age group (p = 0.027). Significant age-related differences were observed for myometrial cysts (87.0% vs 63.1%; p = 0.003), asymmetric wall thickening (91.3% vs 33.0%; p < 0.0001), and fan-shaped shadowing (91.3% vs 67.0%; p = 0.002). Diagnostic challenges were primarily linked to uterine rotation, retroversion, and acoustic shadowing simulating junctional zone irregularity.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Adenomyosis in subfertile women exhibits distinct age-related phenotypes, with higher prevalence in 36-40 age group. The increased frequency of specific structural markers in older women-suggests that the sonographic expression of adenomyosis progresses with age. Furthermore, the identification of diagnostic pitfalls, such as uterine retroversion and acoustic shadowing mimicking junctional zone irregularity, indicates that uterine positioning remains a critical confounding factor in the sonographic assessment of adenomyosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-13","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147460822","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Porcelain gallbladder revisited.","authors":"Reza Zahedpasha, Mary Salvatore","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01128-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01128-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Porcelain gallbladder (PG), characterized radiographically by gallbladder wall calcification, is a rare condition with significant clinical importance due to its association with gallbladder cancer (5-22%). This review explores the epidemiology, pathophysiology, and molecular mechanisms of PG development. Strong correlation with gallstones (> 60%) establishes cholelithiasis as the primary risk factor, with female sex, advanced age, and metabolic disorders also contributing significantly. The pathogenesis involves sustained inflammation, leading to fibrosis, scarring, and ultimately calcium deposition. At the molecular level, pro-inflammatory cytokines, macrophage activation, and fibroblast differentiation ultimately result in collagen deposition and calcification. Estrogen contributes to female predominance through reduced gallbladder motility and increased cholesterol secretion via ESR1, ESR2, and GPER1 receptors. Postmenopausal women remain at risk despite lower estrogen levels due to antioxidant system changes and structural alterations from previous pregnancies. Emerging evidence suggests roles for Helicobacter pylori and other urease-producing bacteria in PG development. The relationship between calcification patterns and malignancy remains controversial, with incomplete calcification potentially carrying higher cancer risk. This review synthesizes current knowledge while highlighting areas requiring further investigation. Evaluation of the urinary bladder for calcification and malignancy is advised when PG is detected, to explore potential associations for future research.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147445939","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"The risk factors of anatomical cystocele recurrence: the hiatal area and the lowest vaginal mesh location observed by pelvic floor ultrasound.","authors":"Yalin Yang, Yi Lan, Yujie Yang, Fuqin Yang, Yusong Chen, Ya Wang, Lieming Wen","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01137-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01137-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Objectives: </strong>To explore the risk factors for the anatomical cystocele recurrence (ACR) after transvaginal mesh (TVM) implantation.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Patients with a TVM between 2015 and 2023 were enrolled. ACR is determined as the bladder descended ≥ 10 mm below the pubic symphysis or a cystocele stage II or higher. The lowest mesh position (LMP) determined by ultrasound corresponded to the caudal mesh end relative to the bladder neck at maximum descent. Positions below the bladder neck were noted as negative values. The hiatal area (HA) was measured using four-dimensional pelvic floor ultrasound. The differences between women with ACR and without were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We enrolled 111 women with a median follow-up of 13 months. Group I included 25 (22.5%) women with ACR. Group II had 86 controls. The median LMP was - 7.0 mm (range - 23 to 18). It was higher in Group I than in Group II (- 3.0 mm vs. - 7.0 mm; p = 0.005). In predicting ACR, LMP had an odds ratio of 1.08 (p = 0.015) and a cutoff of - 3.0 mm (52.3% sensitivity and 72.0% specificity). Multivariate regression analysis revealed odds ratios of 4.3, 3.2, 10.7, and 5.0 (all p < 0.05) for preoperative cystocele stage IV, preoperative HA ≥ 30 cm², postoperative HA ≥ 29 cm², and LMP ≥ -3 mm, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The larger the HA, the higher the risk of postoperative cystocele. If the caudal mesh end is located more than 3 mm below the bladder neck, the risk of ACR is 500%.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147437472","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Where is the air? Comment on: the heart point sign: a bedside ultrasound marker of left-sided pneumothorax in critically ill patients-a case series.","authors":"Laura G C de Kok","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01136-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01136-w","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147436915","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Giant atrial myxoma.","authors":"Nicola Mumoli, Aldo Fici, Lucia Colavolpe","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01130-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01130-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Cardiac myxomas are the most common primary cardiac tumors and typically arise from the left atrium. Although histologically benign, large and highly mobile myxomas may cause severe hemodynamic compromise and mimic valvular heart disease or heart failure syndromes. We present a pictorial essay illustrating the echocardiographic appearance and functional consequences of a giant left atrial myxoma in an elderly patient presenting with progressive dyspnea and signs of congestion. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed a large pedunculated mass attached to the interatrial septum, occupying the left atrium and dynamically prolapsing through the mitral valve during diastole, resulting in functional obstruction and severe mitral regurgitation. Surgical excision confirmed the diagnosis and led to complete clinical recovery. This pictorial essay highlights key echocardiographic features, hemodynamic effects, and teaching points relevant for diagnosis, differential assessment, and follow-up of atrial myxomas.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147437491","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Ultrasound-guided selective nerve root blocks and caudal epidural injection in the management of lumbar radicular syndrome: a case series with one-year follow-up.","authors":"Rong Shi, Yang Liu, Danxu Ma, Yun Wang","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01138-8","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01138-8","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Introduction: </strong>Lumbar radicular syndrome (LRS), a prevalent spinal disorder, is frequently characterized by radiating pain in the lower limbs, which significantly impairs daily functioning. Ultrasound-guided selective nerve root blocks (SNRB) and caudal epidural steroid injections (CESI) have demonstrated clinical value in alleviating the inflammatory aspects of LRS. To achieve better clinical therapeutic effects, the combination of the two blocking methods were applied to such patients as the combined approach.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study sought to evaluate the clinical efficacy of ultrasound-guided combined SNRB and CESI in patients with LRS and refractory sciatica who did not respond to conservative therapy, such as oral analgesics and traditional Chinese medicine. The therapeutic effect of the combined approach was assessed using the numerical rating scale (NRS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores during telephone follow-ups at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>We present a case series involving six individuals diagnosed with LRS and severe sciatic pain. All patients underwent combined ultrasound-guided selective nerve root and caudal epidural blocks while positioned prone. Notably, none of the cases experienced any complications associated with the combined approach. Subsequent follow-up assessments revealed a significant improvement in the numeric rating scale (NRS) and the Oswestry Disability Index (ODI) scores for LRS and refractory sciatica in all patients.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The combined approach may potentially relieve the radiating pain in patients with debilitating sciatica, and then enhance the recovery for patients with lumbar radicular syndrome.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147436872","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"High-frequency ultrasound in genodermatoses.","authors":"Syed Muhammad Yousaf Farooq, Corrado Tagliati, Muhammad Moazzam, Antonio Corvino, Yasmeen Niazi, Giulio Cocco, Robert Krzysztof Mlosek, Oriana Simonetti, Muhammad Farrukh Asif, Ximena Wortsman, Saima Bilal","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01139-7","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01139-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Genodermatoses comprise a heterogeneous group of hereditary skin diseases, which are often characterized by fluctuating severity, incomplete penetrance, and age-related onset, and this makes them hard to identify and treat very early. Traditional dermatologic evaluation has still limited ability to evaluate subclinical disease or objective tracking treatment effects. High-frequency ultrasound has proved to be a non-invasive, reproducible imaging modality that can be used to visualize in detail the epidermis, the dermis and the hypodermis and detect some pathological changes that cannot be identified by clinical ex-amination. High-frequency ultrasound in combination with dermoscopy, reflectance confocal microscopy, and optical coherence tomography can improve disease diagnosis, and possibly objectively assess treatment result. This narrative review highlights the increasing role of ultrasound in genodermatoses.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147391577","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the correlation of intestinal ultrasound and fecal calprotectin with endoscopic severity scores in assessing disease activity in ulcerative colitis patients.","authors":"Shishirendu Parihar, Dawesh Prakash Yadav, Ashish Verma, Sunit Kumar Shukla, Anurag Kumar Tiwari, Vinod Kumar, Karan Kukreja, Akash Shah, Ishan Mittal, Nitesh Bassi","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01127-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s40477-026-01127-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background and aims: </strong>Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Noninvasive markers, including fecal calprotectin (FC) and intestinal ultrasound (IUS), have emerged as promising tools for assessing UC activity. To establish the correlation between noninvasive test IUS and fecal calprotectin with the gold standard invasive test UCEIS for assessing disease activity in patients with UC.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Sixty UC patients were enrolled, and comprehensive demographic, clinical, and biochemical data were collected. FC levels, IUS findings, UCEIS scores, and endoscopic Mayo scores were analyzed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A significant correlation was noted in between fecal calprotectin and bowel wall thickness (BWT) in descending colon (r = 0.423, p = 0.001) and the rectosigmoid (r = 0.306, p = 0.017). Further strong positive correlation was observed between UCEIS and BWT in the descending colon (r = 0.653, p = 0.001) and rectosigmoid (r = 0.406, p = 0.001). The combination of BWT > 3 mm or FC > 250 μg/g demonstrated high sensitivity (92.3%) for detecting active disease, while higher cutoffs showed improved specificity. These findings suggest that IUS and FC may serve as reliable noninvasive tools for assessing disease activity in moderate-to-severe UC. In contrast, the combination of BWT > 4 mm or FC > 500 demonstrated lower sensitivity (68.9%) but increased specificity (94.2%), making it a more precise but less sensitive indicator.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>FC and IUS offer valuable insights into disease activity and may complement endoscopic evaluation. Early utilization of IUS with FC pre- and post-treatment initiation accurately correlates well with endoscopic disease activity and improvement in moderate-to-severe UC, suggesting their potential as diagnostic and prognostic tools for close monitoring and treatment optimization.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"147345773","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparison of rotator cuff muscle thickness and acromiohumeral distance in overhead adolescent athletes with and without rounded shoulders.","authors":"Mansoureh Mohammadi, Rahman Sheikhhoseini, Hashem Piri, Ebrahim Ebrahimi","doi":"10.1007/s40477-025-01102-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-025-01102-y","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Shoulder injuries, particularly in athletes engaged in overhead sports, are common and debilitating, often resulting from overuse and improper posture. Rounded shoulder deformity is a postural abnormality linked to shoulder dysfunction and rotator cuff imbalances. Therefore, the current study compares rotator cuff muscle thickness and acromiohumeral distance (AHD) in overhead athletes with and without rounded shoulders.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this cross-sectional research, 32 overhead athletes were divided into groups with and without rounded shoulders. The measurements were taken via ultrasound (Versana Premier, GE Healthcare, South Korea) to assess muscle thickness and acromiohumeral distance. The Image J software measured the rounded shoulder angle using the photogrammetric method. For data analysis, an independent T-test was used at the significant level of 95% (α < 0.05).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>There were no significant differences in supraspinatus (P < 0.250), infraspinatus (P < 0.449), teres minor (P < 0.353), and subscapularis (P < 0.823) thicknesses. Also, there was no significant difference in acromiohumeral distance (P < 0.139) among overhead adolescent athletes with and without rounded shoulders.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>There is no significant difference between the two groups in the thickness of the shoulder muscles and the acromiohumeral distance. Further research should be conducted on the possible effect of age, sports history, and duration of rounded shoulder on the results. However, it should be kept in mind that the assessment of muscle thickness may not be a suitable indicator for evaluating the muscular performance of athletes during sports.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"85-91"},"PeriodicalIF":1.4,"publicationDate":"2026-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13000089/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145688586","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}