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Clinical value of ultrasonic imaging in diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis was investigated. Eighty-nine patients who were diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University (Qingdao) from January 2014 to June 2016 were retrospectively analyzed. Sixty-eight patients were diagnosed with hypopharyngeal cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis by pathological sections. Twenty-one patients did not have cervical lymph node metastasis. All the patients were diagnosed by palpation and ultrasound. The lymph node ultrasound images were quantified by computer, and the long/short diameter ratio, the maximum systolic velocity, blood flow resistance of the metastatic and non-metastatic patients were compared. The diagnostic efficacy of palpation and ultrasound was analyzed in the diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis. A correlation analysis was carried out between the image features of ultrasound and lymph node metastasis. The long/short diameter ratio, maximum systolic velocity and resistance index of patients with lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those without lymph node metastasis, with a significant difference (P<0.05). Forty-one patients were diagnosed with lymph node metastasis by palpation, fifty-nine patients were diagnosed with lymph node metastasis by ultrasound. The sensitivity and diagnostic coincidence rate of ultrasound in diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis were significantly higher than those of palpation (P<0.05). Statistically significant differences were observed in lymph node internal echo types, medullary echo characteristics, envelope definition, and blood flow distribution characteristics between the metastasis group and the non-metastasis group (P<0.05). Lymph node internal echo was heterogeneous. There was no medulla, and the disordered blood flow in the lymph node predicted lymph node metastasis. Preoperative ultrasound has a high diagnostic value in diagnosis of hypopharyngeal cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis. The diagnostic results of preoperative ultrasound can be used as a reference for the diagnosis and treatment of hypopharyngeal cancer with cervical lymph node metastasis.

DPP4 (dipeptidyl peptidase 4) is expressed in many cancers, but the relationship between DPP4 and thyroid carcinoma (THCA) is incompletely understood. We aim to explore the expression of DPP4 in THCA and the correlation between DPP4 expression with the prognosis of THCA and antitumor immunity. We systematically analyzed data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), Genotype-Tissue Expression (GTEx), and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) databases and explored DPP4 expression, its impact on prognosis, and its relationship with antitumor immunity in THCA. Next, we collected 18 pairs of fresh THCA and adjacent paracancerous tissues and performed RT-qPCR to validate the DPP4 mRNA level. Concurrently, immunohistochemistry (IHC) analysis was performed on 12 pairs of paraffin-embedded tissues of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) and paracancerous tissues to validate the DPP4 protein level. Bioinformatics analysis showed that DPP4 mRNA expression in THCA was significantly higher than that in paracancerous tissues ( p < 0.01 ). DPP4 was expressed at the highest levels in MTC than in other pathological types. The DPP4 expression level was different between groups with different clinical characteristics. The higher the DPP4 expressed in THCA, the lower the disease-free survival (DFS) was (HR = 1.8, p = 0.048 ). DPP4 was significantly correlated with immune cell infiltration and immune response and was positively associated with 21 immune checkpoint genes (ICGs) in THCA ( p < 0.05 ). The results of RT-qPCR showed that the relative mRNA expression of DPP4 was significantly upregulated in 18 THCA tissues compared to that in paracancerous tissues ( p = 0.011 ). IHC results showed that the DPP4 protein level was higher in 12 MTC tissues than in paracancerous tissues ( p = 0.011 ). In conclusion, DPP4 is a potential prognostic marker of THCA and may become an effective target for immunotherapy.

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Objectives To develop a novel ultrasound (US) plane to diagnose palatine tonsillar hypertrophy objectively in children. Methods Tonsillar ultrasonography of children (age 2–14 years) who had a clinical diagnosis of tonsillar hypertrophy or not were analyzed retrospectively. Clinical data (including gender, age, body mass index (BMI)), and volume (V) of tonsils measured by the US, were recorded. Furthermore, we found a new US plane to diagnose tonsillar hypertrophy and named it the submental oblique cross‐section. In this plane, diameters of the left tonsil, right tonsil, and central oropharynx were designated as T1, T2, and O. Then, we calculated the ratio by the formula (T1 + T2)/O. Results A total of 172 cases (85 hypertrophy and 87 non‐hypertrophy) were included in this study. There were no significant differences in gender (P = .844), age (P = .666), and BMI (P = .089) between the groups. In the non‐hypertrophy group, the V of both sides had a positive linear correlation with age or BMI. In contrast, there was no linear correlation between ratio and age or BMI. The area under the curve (AUC) of ratio and V was 0.970 (95%CI: 0.947–0.993) and 0.835 (95%CI: 0.778–0.893) by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis, respectively. The optimal cutoff value of ratio for diagnosis of tonsillar hypertrophy was 2.293 (sensitivity = 88.2%, specificity = 95.4%). Conclusions We established a new US section to evaluate tonsillar hypertrophy. This approach could be easily acquired and provide a reference value to guide clinical practice.

Objectives-This study aimed to investigate the reliability of 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound in screening for developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) by comparing the results with those of 2-dimensional (2D) ultrasound.Methods-One hundred five infants who were younger than 6 months were enrolled in this study. All of the infants underwent 2D and 3D ultrasound scanning for DDH by novices and experts, and the images were graded by a lead expert. The scanning time and image grades were analyzed by Student t tests (P < .05). The consistency of the α angle measurement between the novices and experts was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC).Results-The 105 infants included 34 boys and 71 girls. On 2D scanning, there was agreement between the experts about the correct diagnosis, whereas in the novice group, 41 infants had misdiagnoses. There were no misdiagnoses with 3D scanning in either group. In the novice group, the mean image grades AE SD were 4.2 AE 1.3 (2D ultrasound) and 8.1 AE 0.7 (3D ultrasound; P < .05). In the expert group, the mean image grades were 7.4 AE 1.0 (2D ultrasound) and 8.2 AE 1.0 (3D ultrasound; P < .05). There was no statistically significant difference between the groups in the grades for 3D ultrasound (P = .83). The scanning time for 3D ultrasound was shorter than that for 2D ultrasound in both groups (P < .05). In the novice group, the ICC of the α angle between the 2D and 3D ultrasound results was 0.34, and in the expert group, it was 0.92. The ICCs were 0.35 and 0.84, respectively when comparing 2D and 3D ultrasound results in the groups.Conclusions-Three-dimensional ultrasound required less time and showed greater inter-rater reliability than 2D ultrasound for detecting DDH.

Background: S100 calcium-binding protein A11 (S100A11) has important roles in tumorigenesis and multiple cancer progression. In this study, we aimed to analyze the expression and prognostic value of S100A11 across cancers and further explore the relationship between S100A11 and the tumor immune microenvironment. Methods: We analyzed the differential expression of S100A11 in the TIMER, GEPIA, and BioGPS databases and searched for its prognostic impact in the GEPIA and Kaplan-Meier plotter databases. We used the SangerBox database to investigate the relationship between S100A11 expression and the tumor immune microenvironment. The TIMER database explored the relationship between S100A11 expression and tumor immune-infiltrated cells (TILs). Correlation analysis of S100A11 expression with clinical parameters in thyroid carcinoma (THCA) was performed using the UALCAN database. The co-expression network of S100A11 in THCA was explored through the LinkedOmics database. RT‒qPCR and immunohistochemical (IHC) staining were used to analyze the expression level of S100A11 in THCA. Results: S100A11 expression was higher in many tumors than in paired normal tissues, and increased expression was associated with poor prognosis, including overall survival (OS), recurrence-free survival (RFS), and disease-free survival (DFS). S100A11 was differentially expressed in immune subtypes and molecular subtypes of some cancers. The expression of S100A11 was correlated with immune checkpoints (ICP), tumor mutational burden (TMB), microsatellite instability (MSI), neoantigens, and TILs. The methylation level of S100A11 was negatively correlated with mRNA expression. S100A11 expression had a specific correlation with the clinical parameters of THCA. In THCA, the coexpression network of S100A11 was mainly involved in regulating inflammation and immune responses. RT‒qPCR and IHC staining confirmed that S100A11 was upregulated in THCA. Conclusion: S100A11 may be related to the regulation of the tumor microenvironment. S100A11 may serve as a potential pan-cancer biomarker for prognosis. S100A11 could be a potential target for THCA immunotherapy.

Objective To identify risk factors related to structural incomplete response (SIR) in papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) and develop a nomogram for PTC patients. Methods In this respective study, clinical, ultrasonic, and pathological data of PTC patients treated at our institute between 2016 and 2020 were analyzed. Patients were randomly split into training and validation sets at a ratio of 7:3. Multivariate Cox regression analysis was conducted to determine independent prognostic factors. On the basis of these factors, a nomogram was built to predict SIR. P value, concordance index, calibration plots and decision curve analysis were used to evaluate the model. Results Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that BRAF V600E status, lymph node metastasis, sex, tumor size, margin, and surgical procedure were independent prognostic factors. In the validation set, the concordance index of the nomogram was 0.774 (95% confidence interval: 0.703–0.845). Calibration plots at 3 and 5 years showed no apparent difference between predicted SIR probability and the actual SIR proportion. Additionally, the nomogram had good net clinical benefit according to the decision curve analysis compared with cases that were treat-all or treat-none. Conclusion We build a nomogram to predict individualized outcomes and help postoperative surveillance in PTC patients.