Journal of Ultrasound最新文献

{"title":"Robotic breast ultrasound with knowledge-guided path planning and vision feedback.","authors":"Mohammadali Afshar Kazemi, Hosein Esmaeili, Reza Radfar, Nazanin Pilevari","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01214-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01214-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Aims: </strong>Standardizing robotic breast ultrasound remains challenging in practice, particularly during near-lesion approach, where small nonlinearities can degrade imaging consistency and needle guidance.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>This study uses publicly available datasets to derive skill-informed motion primitives for an ontology-guided path-planning framework and to define a representative breast ultrasound workspace with lesion-oriented linear trajectories. BUSI-derived lesion information is used to generate image-informed scan paths in the imaging plane, while JIGSAWS kinematic sequences are used to initialize motion primitives and neuro-fuzzy inverse-kinematics rules. The proposed robotic ultrasound scan controller maps Cartesian targets to joint commands, and its parameters are subsequently refined using an ant colony optimization for continuous domains (ACOR) strategy. Performance is evaluated in terms of joint-angle error, forward-kinematics path tracking, motion smoothness measured by mean absolute jerk, and needle-heading alignment relative to the planned trajectory.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Among the untuned variants, the controller initialized by data-driven clustering showed the strongest generalization across the evaluation workspace. ACOR-based refinement further reduced path-tracking error and markedly improved motion smoothness. Orientation alignment also improved relative to the baseline, although performance remained variable across test segments and the predefined success threshold was not achieved in all cases.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The proposed knowledge-driven robotic ultrasound framework integrates ontology-guided linear path planning, neuro-fuzzy inverse kinematics, and metaheuristic parameter refinement to achieve accurate and smoother tracking in representative breast-imaging tasks. In the present proof-of-concept study, the image-based component is used primarily for lesion-informed trajectory generation and evaluation rather than full real-time visual servoing. These findings support the feasibility of standardized robotic ultrasound workflows and motivate future integration of explicit orientation costs, force regulation, and real-time image feedback.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"681-691"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588773/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148801514","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":"Multimodal ultrasound in renal transplantation: a pictorial essay on graft complications.","authors":"Antonio Granata, Rosario Maccarrone, Maurizio Garozzo, Salvatore Granata, Mariano Scaglione, Francesco Maria Drudi, Yuri Battaglia, Mauro Dugo, Michele Prencipe, Michele Bertolotto, Matthias Zeiler","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01179-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01179-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Kidney transplantation is the preferred treatment for eligible patients with end-stage kidney disease, but long-term graft survival requires timely recognition of early and late complications. Ultrasound is the first-line imaging modality for renal allograft evaluation because it is safe, repeatable, radiation-free and suitable for bedside assessment. A multimodal ultrasound strategy, combining B-mode imaging, color and spectral Doppler ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasound and shear wave elastography, provides complementary information on graft morphology, vascular integrity, microperfusion and tissue stiffness. Conventional ultrasound and Doppler remain the diagnostic backbone, while contrast-enhanced ultrasound and elastography may improve diagnostic confidence in selected scenarios, especially when standard findings are inconclusive. This pictorial essay offers a practical, image-based overview of multimodal ultrasound in renal allograft complications, highlighting key imaging patterns, clinical applications and limitations.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"727-741"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588770/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609927","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":"Diagnostic accuracy of contrast-enhanced ultrasound versus duplex ultrasound and computed tomography angiography for endoleak detection after EVAR: a prospective comparative study.","authors":"Wellington Gianoti Lustre, Libnah Leal, Vinicius Cardoso, Mateus Aves Borges Cristino, Carolina Dutra Queiroz Flumignan, Ronald Luiz Gomes Flumignan, Jorge Eduardo de Amorim, Luis Carlos Uta Nakano","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01182-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01182-4","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Lifelong imaging surveillance after endovascular aneurysm repair (EVAR) is essential for endoleak detection but is limited by cumulative radiation and nephrotoxicity from computed tomography angiography (CTA). Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) has emerged as a promising alternative, although prospective comparative data remain limited.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective, single-centre diagnostic accuracy study, 30 consecutive patients (mean age 78.5 ± 7.1 years; 70% male) undergoing EVAR follow-up were evaluated with duplex ultrasound (DUS), CEUS (SonoVue®), and CTA within a 30-day interval. CTA served as the reference standard. Diagnostic performance metrics were calculated with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) according to STARD recommendations.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Endoleaks were identified in 11 patients (36.7%). CTA detected 8 cases (26.7%), CEUS 9 (30.0%), and DUS 4 (13.3%). CEUS demonstrated high sensitivity (87.5%; 95% CI 47.3-99.7%) and specificity (90.9%; 70.8-98.9%), with overall accuracy of 90.0% (73.5-97.9%). In contrast, DUS showed limited sensitivity (33.3%; 9.9-65.1%) despite perfect specificity (100%), yielding lower accuracy (73.3%). Inter-modality agreement was 83.3%.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>CEUS demonstrates high diagnostic accuracy for endoleak detection after EVAR and represents a robust, radiation-free alternative to CTA for longitudinal surveillance. Given its favourable safety profile and diagnostic performance, CEUS should be considered a first-line imaging modality in routine follow-up, with CTA reserved for equivocal findings or pre-interventional planning. These results support a paradigm shift toward CEUS-based surveillance strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"639-646"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588977/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148609934","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":"A structured point-of-care ultrasound protocol for peripheral nerve assessment in the interventional pain medicine clinic: a technical note.","authors":"Ahmad J Abdulsalam, Abdulrazzaq Aldhafiri","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01195-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01195-z","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Peripheral nerve ultrasound in the pain medicine clinic remains largely non-standardized. The purpose of this technical note is to propose a structured point-of-care ultrasound protocol for systematic peripheral nerve evaluation in the interventional pain medicine setting.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The Peripheral Nerve Assessment Protocol (PNAP) was developed based on the existing peripheral nerve ultrasound literature, established point-of-care ultrasound models, and clinical experience in interventional pain medicine. The protocol targets 10 nerves across four anatomical regions using a four-step assessment sequence: static survey, dynamic provocation, Doppler interrogation, and contralateral comparison.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Sonographic diagnostic criteria and a three-tier clinical decision framework are presented to guide same-visit treatment planning. The protocol integrates diagnostic assessment with procedural decision-making within a single clinical encounter.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>The PNAP provides a reproducible methodology for peripheral nerve assessment in the interventional pain medicine clinic that may serve as a foundation for future validation studies.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"743-747"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588975/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148585994","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 chronic rejection in kidney transplant recipients with linear probe shear wave elastography.","authors":"Elif Senem Gök, Ayşe Keven, Ahmet Faruk Gürbüz, Havva Serap Toru, Hüseyin Koçak, Ali Apaydın, Kağan Çeken","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01177-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01177-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To compare linear and convex probe shear wave elastography (SWE) for the diagnosis of chronic rejection in renal transplant recipients.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>In this prospective study, 84 patients (42 with stable and 42 with unstable graft function) underwent SWE examinations using linear and convex probes. Elasticity values, resistive index (RI), and laboratory parameters (creatinine, eGFR, and proteinuria) were analyzed. Chronic rejection was confirmed by biopsy in patients with unstable graft function.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Linear probe SWE values were significantly higher in patients with rejection than in those without rejection (15.91 vs. 12.3 kPa, p < 0.05). A cutoff value of 15.45 kPa predicted rejection with 66.7% sensitivity and 80% specificity (AUC: 0.76). Convex probe SWE showed no diagnostic utility. Linear SWE values correlated with elevated creatinine levels (p < 0.05), increased proteinuria (p < 0.05), and reduced eGFR (r = -0.436). RI values were not predictive.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Linear probe SWE provides superior performance compared with convex probe SWE in detecting chronic rejection, representing a potential noninvasive tool to support biopsy decisions and monitor fibrosis.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"617-627"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13589044/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148431494","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":"Correction: Rapid progression of mitral‑aortic intervalvular fibrosa pseudoaneurysm in a patient with bicuspid aortic valve endocarditis: a case report and comprehensive literature review.","authors":"Lanhua Chen, Rong Chen, Yunhai Liao, Huizhong Li","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01173-5","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01173-5","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"781"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588768/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148303976","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":"Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) meets artificial intelligence: a new accurate classification tool for BIRADS 3-4 breast lesions.","authors":"Marco Moschetta, Alessia Spitaleri, Federico Cofone, Fabio Panarelli, Corrado Caiazzo, Amato Antonio Stabile Ianora, Michele Telegrafo","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01212-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01212-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Breast ultrasound (US) has often interpretation challenges (BIRADS 3-BIRADS 4 lesions), leading to a high demand for core needle biopsies (CNB). In this context, a computer-aided diagnostic (CAD) tool based on a machine-learning artificial intelligence, applied to images obtained with an automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS), could potentially provide more accurate diagnoses by instantly and automatically assessing the US lesion features and their level of suspicion. The aim of this study is to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of a CAD applied to ABUS images for BIRADS 3-4 lesions.</p><p><strong>Materials and methods: </strong>Fifty-four patients underwent ABUS, performed with three scans per side, reconstructing images in the axial, coronal, and sagittal planes. Two expert radiologists draw a region of interest (ROI) on the lesion to be assessed by CAD tool, reaching a consensus regarding the images. Only breast lesions classified as BIRADS 3-4 were included, for a total of 68 (32 BIRADS 3, 36 BIRADS 4). CAD results were compared with the histological findings from CNBs in all cases, calculating sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), accuracy (AC), positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV).</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Histology identified 40 positive lesions and 28 negative lesions. The CAD classified 38 suspicious lesions, with 6 false positives, 22 true negatives, and 2 false negatives. The values for SE, SP, AC, PPV, and NPV were 95, 79, 88, 86, and 92%, respectively.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>The proposed CAD system is accurate in characterizing BIRADS 3-4 breast lesions diagnosed by ABUS and, therefore, could be applied in the clinical practice in order to assist radiologists in evaluating US images and reducing the number of the required CNBs.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"699-705"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13589012/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148702815","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":"Tips and tricks for a safe and effective ultrasound-guided minimally invasive treatment of thyroid nodules: a narrative technical review.","authors":"Giovanni Mauri, Gianluca Sellaro, Pierluigi Glielmo, Luigi Solbiati, Stefano Spiezia, Luca Maria Sconfienza","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01191-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01191-3","url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>Image-guided thermal ablations are nowadays increasingly used to provide a minimally invasive treatment to patients with thyroid nodules, with reported good clinical results and a low complication rate. Different ablative techniques can be applied, each with specific advantages and disadvantages according to the clinical situation. Moreover, percutaneous ablation of thyroid nodules might be complex in cases where there is limited access for image guidance or a close proximity to critical structures, which can be unintentionally injured during treatment. In the present paper we offer an overview of the most commonly used ablative techniques and of the most important manoeuvres that can be applied to enhance the safety and effectiveness of percutaneous image-guided thyroid ablations. Emphasis is given to preoperative evaluation, the different technical aspects of ablation, operating room setting, image guidance, and some tips and tricks for a safe and effective treatment are presented.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"507-516"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588763/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148580963","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":"Automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) versus handheld ultrasound (HHUS) for the preoperative assessment of tumor size in invasive breast cancer.","authors":"Michele Telegrafo, Fabio Panarelli, Federico Cofone, Alessia Spitaleri, Corrado Caiazzo, Amato Antonio Stabile Ianora, Marco Moschetta","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01211-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01211-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>Accurate preoperative assessment of tumor size (T parameter) is crucial for surgical planning in breast cancer. This study aimed to compare the diagnostic performance of automated breast ultrasound (ABUS) and conventional handheld ultrasound (HHUS) in evaluating tumor size, using histopathology as the reference standard.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>Between September 2025 and March 2026, 43 patients with 46 invasive breast carcinoma lesions underwent preoperative evaluation with both HHUS and ABUS. Tumor diameters were measured by two experienced radiologists. Measurements obtained with each imaging modality were compared with histological findings. Statistical analysis included analysis of variance (ANOVA), paired Student's t-tests, and inter-observer agreement using Cohen's kappa coefficient.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Mean tumor diameters were 12.82 mm for ABUS, 12.50 mm for HHUS, and 12.74 mm for histology. No statistically significant differences were observed between ABUS and HHUS measurements (p = 0.07), nor between either imaging modality and histology (ABUS vs. histology: p = 0.15; HHUS vs. histology: p = 0.86). Inter-observer agreement was excellent (κ = 0.88). Measurements obtained with ABUS showed a closer overlap with histological findings.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>Both ABUS and HHUS provide accurate preoperative assessment of tumor size in invasive breast cancer. However, ABUS demonstrates advantages in reproducibility, operator independence, and three-dimensional visualization, supporting its role as a valuable tool for surgical planning.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"693-698"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13588764/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148698288","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":"Diagnostic accuracy of point-of-care ultrasound in neonatal intensive care units: a systematic review.","authors":"Juan Máximo Molina-Linde, Juliana Ester Martín-López, María Piedad Rosario-Lozano, Juan Antonio Blasco-Amaro","doi":"10.1007/s40477-026-01171-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s40477-026-01171-7","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy, safety, and organisational aspects of point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) in neonates admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs), focusing on pulmonary, cardiac, neurological, and abdominal conditions.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA statement. MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Web of Science, and CINAHL were searched from inception to May 2024. Grey literature and trial registries were also explored. Studies assessing the diagnostic accuracy of POCUS in NICU neonates were included. Risk of bias was assessed using QUADAS-2. Due to substantial heterogeneity, a narrative synthesis was performed.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>Thirteen diagnostic accuracy studies were included, evaluating pulmonary (n = 8), cardiac (n = 2), neurological (n = 2), and abdominal (n = 1) conditions. Most studies were observational and single-centre. In pulmonary conditions, sensitivity ranged from 80.0 to 100% and specificity from 63.6 to 100%. For patent ductus arteriosus, sensitivity ranged from 68.7 to 100% and specificity from 87.5 to 93.7%. In neurological pathology, POCUS showed high accuracy for severe intraventricular haemorrhage, but lower sensitivity for smaller or localised lesions. In abdominal pathology, sensitivity ranged from 45.0 to 90.9% and specificity from 85.7 to 89.2%. No adverse events attributable to POCUS were reported, although safety was not systematically assessed. Evidence on organisational aspects was limited and inconsistently reported.</p><p><strong>Conclusion: </strong>POCUS may provide valuable bedside diagnostic information in NICUs, particularly in pulmonary conditions. However, the evidence remains limited by heterogeneity, small sample sizes, and operator dependence. Further prospective multicentre studies with standardised protocols are needed.</p>","PeriodicalId":51528,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Ultrasound","volume":" ","pages":"495-505"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6,"publicationDate":"2026-09-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC13589032/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148058106","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}