Objective: To evaluate the role of ultrasound in the diagnosis of thyroiditis and to evaluate its sonographic features. Methods: Thirty-nine cases included in this study, age ranged between16-65years with a mean of 39.4 years. The majority (95%) of the cases were female. Examinations were done in an outpatient clinic using real-time Sonography with the high-frequency linear probe, Following variables; gland size, its echogenicity, texture, vascularity and pattern of involvement by the disease process were recorded, then accordingly, a provisional diagnosis of thyroiditis made and reported. After that, US-guided Fine Needle Aspiration Cytology (FNA) done for the patients according to physical referral and order, while the procedure explained to the patient's and written consent. Then the final results were compared while FNA was considered as a gold standard diagnostic test. Results: Thirty-seven cases (95%) proved to be thyroiditis with ultrasound diagnostic sensitivity of 95%. Most commonly diagnosed type of thyroiditis was chronic (69.2%). Regardless type of thyroiditis, most common sonographic features were decreased in echogenicity and heterogenic texture, they were reported among all studied cases (100%). Majority of cases (Nearly 67%) had large thyroid size and most of the patients (nearly 77%) had diffuse thyroid involvement. Regarding vascularity, decreased vascularity was most common finding (43%), while among cases of increased vascularity, majority of cases (77%) were chronic thyroiditis. Conclusions: Ultrasound is a sensitive tool and can play an important role in the diagnosis of thyroiditis, while it's available, noninvasive and cost-effective imaging modality. The decrease in echo and heterogeneity in texture are the two most common US features in the diagnosis of thyroiditis.

there are controversies regarding the normal size of the adult spleen and its correlation with age, sex and body parameters. the present study aimed to establish a reference value of splenic dimensions, volume and their correlations with different body parameters. the present cross-sectional study was conducted on 300 healthy adult volunteers of both sexes. age, sex, height, weight and body mass index (BMI) were recorded. the ultrasound measurements of spleen parameters included length, thickness and width. the spleen volume was calculated using the standard prolate ellipsoid formula (length x thickness x width x0.523). the mean ± SD age was 38.7±14 years, the mean height was 166±9.9 cm, the mean weight was 74.7±15.8 kg and the mean BMI was 27±5 kg/m 2 . the mean spleen length, thickness, width and volume were 10.68±1.28 cm, 4.1±0.58 cm, 7.3±0.9 cm and 174.4±52.4 ml, respectively. Males had larger spleen parameters than females. Spleen volume significantly correlated with the subjects' height (r=0.655, P<0.001) and weight (r=0.643, P<0.001). However, weaker correlations were detected between age (r=-0.238, P<0.001) and BMI (r=0.299, P<0.001) with spleen volume. A higher significant correlation was found between spleen volume and spleen length rather than with its thickness and width. In the present study, the normative data of splenic dimensions and volume have been provided and may be used in certain clinical situations.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) accounts for 1-2% of all malignancies and is the most common renal tumor in adults. Imaging studies are used for diagnosis and staging. Tumor-Node-Metastasis staging strongly affects prognosis and management, while contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CECT) is regarded as a standard imaging technique for local and distant staging. The present study aimed to evaluate the accuracy of CECT for the preoperative staging of RCC by using surgical and pathological staging as the reference methods. This single-center prospective study was conducted between October 2019 and November 2021. The preoperative abdominal CT scans of patients suspected of having RCC were reviewed. Imaging data were collected, including tumor side and size, and perinephric fat invasion. Intraoperative notes were recorded, including the operation type, perinephric fat invasion, renal vein (RV) or inferior vena cava (IVC) tumor extension, and surrounding organ invasion. pathological data were collected on tumor size, RCC type, presence of clear margins, presence of renal capsule or perinephric fat invasion, renal sinus or pelvicalyceal system (PCS) invasion, segmental or main RV extension, and the involvement of Gerota's fascia and nearby organs. Preoperative CECT revealed that 42 out of 59 tumors had a greater maximum diameter than the pathological specimen, with an overall disparity of 0.25 cm. The specificity of CT for the detection of tumor invasion of the perinephric and renal sinus fat and PCS was 95%, and the sensitivity ranged from 80 to 88%. CT had an 83% sensitivity and a 95 specificity in detecting T4 stage cancer, with a 100% specificity for adrenal invasion. The concordance between radiographic and histological results for RV and IVC involvement was high, with specificities of 94 and 98%, and sensitivities of 80 and 100%, respectively. Overall accuracy for correct T staging was 80%. In conclusion, CECT is accurate in the local T staging of RCC, with high sensitivity and specificity for estimating tumor size and detecting extension to nearby structures and venous invasion.

Purpose: Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic inflammatory disabling disease affecting articular and extra articular organs and one of these important organs is cardiovascular system, whose involvement is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality of Rheumatoid arthritis patients. Therefore, it is important to look for the relation of Rheumatoid arthritis and the extent of cardiovascular involvement among those patients by Ultrasound (US ) which is feasible, simple and low cost investigation. Moreover, sonographic measurement of carotid artery intimal thickness is one of those reliable and sensitive means in assessing generalized atherosclerosis. To determine whether arterial wall thickening is increased in Rheumatoid arthritis patients compared with healthy controls by measuring the intima-media thickness of the common carotid arteries and to evaluate the factors that may be responsible for arterial intima-media thickness increase in patients with Rheumatoid arthritis. Material and Methods: 32 Rheumatoid arthritis patients (7 males and 25 females) been evaluated for common carotid intima-media thickness compared with 30 healthy control subjects (8 males and 22 females) matched for (age, sex, and other major risk factors for atherosclerosis). Laboratory variables were measured by routine methods. Intima-media thicknesses of the common carotid arteries were measured by High-frequency linear probe ultrasound. Results: Common carotid artery intima-media thickness was significantly higher (P-value 0.003) in Rheumatoid arthritis patients (mean±SD 0.66±0.11mm) compared with controls (0.58±0.086mm).There was a highly significant association between carotid intima-media thickness increase and the acute phase reactants (ESR, CRP) and Rheumatoid factor as P-value was (0.000, 0.001 and 0.000) successively. No relation between carotid intima-media thickness and duration of disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs usage was found (P-value 0.051). Conclusion:Rheumatoid arthritis patients are around three fold at a higher risk of developing arterial intimal thickening and in turn they are more prone to develop cardiovascular complications than normal population due to the effects of chronic inflammatory processes and these results concluded that the disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs has no protective measures on arterial intima-media wall thickening.

Objective Mammography is the gold standard screening procedure for the early diagnosis of breast cancer. This study aimed to determine the distribution of breast density among women older than 40 years in Sulaimaniyah, Iraq, and to examine the correlations between breast density and various risk factors. Methods This cross-sectional study included 750 women who received routine mammographic breast screening at Sulaimaniyah Breast Center. Bilateral standard two-view mammographic images (craniocaudal and mediolateral oblique projections) were acquired and reported using a picture archiving and communication system. American College of Radiology (ACR) Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) assessment categories C and D were considered as dense. Results A total of 54.3% of breasts were classified as dense, with ACR-BI-RADS categories C or D. Breast density was significantly associated with age, body mass index, a family history of breast cancer, and pre-menopause, and women with no history of breastfeeding were more likely to have dense breasts than those with partial or complete breastfeeding. Conclusions This study revealed that women from Sulaimaniyah with a distinct breast-density profile at mammographic screening may have a significantly increased risk of breast cancer.