The processus vaginalis is a blind‐ended evagination of the abdominal wall that develops during fetal life and typically undergoes obliteration in early life. Persistence of the processus vaginalis is associated with a number of pathologies including congenital indirect inguinal hernias, communicating hydroceles, funicular and encysted hydroceles, canal of Nuck cysts, and acquired undescended testis. Whilst all are detectable sonographically, there is little educational material relevant to the field of ultrasound with much of the literature directed at surgical and primary care physicians. Furthermore, within the literature there is a lack of consensus on several areas including the anatomy and embryology of the processus vaginalis and the mechanisms behind its obliteration. As such the objective of this paper is to distil the information regarding the persistent processus vaginalis as it is relevant to ultrasound and in doing so address the literature gap for sonographers and sonologists. The anatomy and embryology of the persistent processus vaginalis will be discussed including causative mechanisms for anomalies with their sonographic appearance highlighted.
Ankle sprains are common. Midfoot ligaments, particularly the dorsal ligaments of the Chopart joint complex, can be injured in combination with other ankle and foot injuries via an ankle sprain, but are clinically difficult to detect. The prevalence of injury to dorsal midfoot ligaments may be underreported as they can be overlooked, underappreciated, and underdiagnosed. Symptoms can include chronic pain, long-term functional limitations, and physical disability due to lack of timely management. Sonographic assessment of the ankle and foot following an ankle sprain should include assessment of the dorsal midfoot ligaments. This paper will provide a description of the sonographic anatomy, appearances, and assessment of the dorsal ligaments of the Chopart joint complex. Early diagnosis of injury can allow for appropriate management and treatment.
Ankle sprains can be considered a relatively common injury particularly from sports injuries. While a sprain is generally a benign injury, symptoms can persist and lead to long-term disability and instability. This article includes an overview of the lateral ankle including ligament and tendon anatomy, scanning technique and information on the common sprains the sonographer may encounter. It is important that sonographers are familiar with the lateral ankle anatomy and potential injuries and how complicated an ankle sprain can be.
Sonographic imaging of the inguinofemoral lymph nodes can be performed in patients with vulvar cancer to discriminate between normal (benign and reactive) and malignant appearing lymph nodes. A systematic sonographic protocol for imaging inguinofemoral lymph nodes is not commonly used, but could aid in homogenising the reporting of lymph node location and status. This paper unpacks the relative anatomy of the inguinofemoral lymph nodes. A protocol outlining the sonographic assessment of inguinofemoral lymph nodes and the criteria to use to guide the reporting of their size, shape, echogenicity and vascular architecture is discussed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.