Adding SWE features, especially the stiff rim sign at the display setting (<180 kPa), to conventional US has the potential to improve the differentiation of breast lesions.

The present study aimed to investigate the value of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) coexisting with a thyroid abnormality, and to improve the accuracy of PTMC diagnosis. The ultrasonic features of 38 PTMC nodules coexisting with a thyroid abnormality and 56 thyroid benign nodules, obtained by surgical resection and confirmed by pathological analysis, were retrospectively analyzed. All masses were ≤ 1.0 cm in diameter. Ultrasonic features that were analyzed included the shape, aspect ratio, boundary, margin, echo, uniformity, presence or absence of microcalcification and enlargement of the lymph nodes, as well as the blood flow of the nodules. Furthermore, the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of ultrasonography for the diagnosis of PTMC were obtained. The following ultrasonic features of thyroid nodules were significantly (P<0.05) associated with PTMC coexisting with a thyroid abnormality: An irregular shape; an aspect ratio of ≥ 1; an unclear boundary; blurred margins; internal heterogeneous hypoechogenicity; and microcalcification. Therefore, thyroid nodules with these ultrasonic characteristics coexisting with a thyroid abnormality may be suspected as malignant PTMC. The present study demonstrated that ultrasound-guided biopsies are necessary to prevent misdiagnosis of PTMC. The sensitivities of enlarged neck lymph nodes and abundant blood flow are so low that they may be considered as references for the differentiation of PTMC from benign nodules.

Objectives:To investigate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound for evaluation of inflammatory activity in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD).Methods:Fifty-six patients with histologically proven CD (39 with active, 17 with inactive disease) and 30 healthy volunteers as a control group were enrolled in the study at WeiFang People’s Hospital, Weifang Province, China from October 2012 to December 2014. Bowel wall thickness, and vascularity pattern were measured by Doppler ultrasound.Results:There was a significant difference in flow volume of the superior mesenteric artery (585 ± 235 ml/min) in the patients with active disease, compared with those with inactive disease (401 ± 238 ml/min) and the control group (390 ± 189 ml/min, p<0.001). Wall thickness was 5.1 ± 1.5 mm in the active CD group, 3.3 ± 1.6 mm in the inactive disease group (p<0.001) and <3 mm in the control group. Resistance index in the thickened bowel wall showed some differences: 0.68 ± 0.05 in the active disease group, 0.78 ± 0.08 in the inactive disease group, and 0.85 ± 0.07 in the control group (p<0.05).Conclusion:Doppler ultrasound is a useful diagnostic tool in detecting CD and assessing inflammatory activity.

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