[Contrast-enhanced ultrasound in the diagnostic workup of lymph nodes]

Multiparametric Ultrasound of Cervical Lymph Node Metastases in Head and Neck Cancer for Planning Non-Surgical Therapy

Background: We aimed to evaluate multiparametric ultrasound, to achieve a better understanding of the baseline characteristics of suspected cervical lymph node metastases in head and neck cancer before induction chemotherapy or chemoradiation. Methods: From February 2020 to April 2021, our complete ultrasound examination protocol was carried out on clinically evident malignant lymph nodes of histologically proven HNSCC in the pre-therapeutic setting. Results: A total of 13 patients were eligible for analysis. Using elastography, irregular clear hardening in areas in the center of the lymph node could be detected in all cases. Elastographic Q-analysis showed a significantly softer cortex compared to the center and surrounding tissue. The time–intensity curve analysis showed high values for the area under the curve and a short time-to-peak (fast wash-in) in all cases compared to the surrounding tissue. A parametric evaluation of contrast enhanced the ultrasound in the early arterial phase and showed an irregular enhancement from the margin in almost all investigated lymph nodes. These results show that the implementation of comprehensive, multiparametric ultrasound is suitable for classifying suspected lymph node metastasis more precisely than conventional ultrasound alone in the pre-therapeutic setting of HNSCC. Thus, these parameters may be used for improvements in the re-staging after chemoradiation or neoadjuvant therapy monitoring, respectively.

Values of Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in Classification and Diagnosis of Common Bile Duct and Superficial Organ Lesions under Compression Algorithm

This work aimed to investigate values of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) under DEFLATE in the classification and diagnosis of the common bile duct and superficial lymphoid lesions. 88 patients with lower common bile duct lesions and 126 patients with superficial lymphoid lesions were selected as the subjects investigated and examined by CEUS under DEFLATE to compare characteristics and diagnostic efficiency of CEUS in different types of lesions. The time-intensity curve (TIC) was for quantitative analysis on CEUS results. The results showed that there were statistically significant differences in the comparison of time to peak (TTP), area under the curve (AUC), and gradient (Grad) of common bile duct walls in patients from the malignant group (P < 0.05), while the comparison of three indicators of patients in the benign group was not statistically remarkable (P > 0.05). In addition, there were statistically great differences in TTP, AUC, and Grad among patients in the benign and malignant groups (P < 0.05). The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and positive/negative predictive value of CEUS + ultrasound (US) in the diagnosis of benign and malignant lymph nodes were 92.83%, 87.14%, 89.54%, 91.23%, and 86.43%, respectively. The values of maximal intensity (I_max) in the reactive hyperplasia group (group A), lymphoma group (group B), and metastatic lymph nodes group (group C) were compared, showing statistical differences (P < 0.05). The TTP and AUC of group B were higher than those of groups A and C, respectively (P < 0.05), and the base-to-peak ascending slope (K_UP) and the absolute value of the semidescending slope (K_DOWN) in group C increased hugely compared to group A (P < 0.05). It indicated that CEUS examination under DEFLATE could be applied in the qualitative diagnosis of lower common bile duct lesions and superficial lymphoid lesions, which was worthy of clinical application.

Mediastinal Masses in Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound - Retrospective Analysis of 58 Cases

OBJECTIVES

To determine contrast enhancing features of mediastinal masses (ML) using transcutaneous contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS).

METHODS

Retrospective analysis of n = 58 patients with histologically confirmed ML, which were examined in the period from October 2005 to February 2018 using transcutaneous B-mode ultrasound and CEUS. In n = 29 (50%) histological confirmation was performed by ultrasound guided core-needle biopsy. The lesions were evaluated using CEUS in regard to the enhancement pattern (hyper-, iso-, hypoenhancement, non-enhancement, homogenous, inhomogenous) compared to enhancement of the spleen as an in vivo reference.

RESULTS

N = 53 (91.4%) of ML were malignant (m) (lymphoma n = 36, metastasis n = 11, thymoma n = 2, teratoma n = 1, sarcoma n = 2, seminoma n = 1). In n = 5 (8.6%) cases there was a benign (b) histology (thyroid tissue n = 2, thymus residue n = 1, ganglioneurinoma n = 1, scar tissue: n = 1). In ultrasound, n = 53 (91.4%; (48 = m, 5 = b)) were hypoechoic, n = 5 (8.6%, (5 = m,0 = b)) hyperechoic. In CEUS, n = 35 lesions presented an arterial isoenhancement (60.3%; 33 = m, 2 = b). An arterial hypoenhancement had n = 21 (36.2%, (20 = m,1 = b)), and no enhancement showed n = 2 (3.5%, (0 = m, 2 = b) of the ML. A parenchymal isoenhancement was observed in n = 1 (1.7%, (1 = m, 0 = b)), a hypoenhancement in n = 54 (93.1%; 51 = m, 3 = b) of the patients and almost no enhancement in n = 3 ML (5.2%, (1 = m, 2 = b).) The enhancement was homogeneous in n = 26 (44.8%, (25 = m,1 = b)) cases, in n = 31 (53.5%, (28 = m,3 = b)) inhomogeneous and n = 1 (1.7%) benign lesion was exclusively cystic.

CONCLUSION

In CEUS, mediastinal tumor formations showed variable arterial enhancement, followed by parenchymal hypoenhancement (wash-out).

Sonografische Lymphknotendiagnostik im Bereich der unteren Extremitäten

Die Sonografie dient der Detektion und Charakterisierung tastbarer Resistenzen oder zufällig entdeckter Lymphknoten (LK) der unteren Extremitäten. Meist handelt es sich um chronisch entzündliche oder reaktive Lymphknoten ohne klinische Relevanz. Sie finden sich fast immer nur inguinal, während LK in der Kniekehle sehr selten auftreten. Für die Differenzialdiagnose kommt neben Anamnese und Klinik der B-Bild-Sonografie sowie der Gefäßarchitektur eine wegweisende Rolle zu. Wegen der unspezifischen sonografischen Befunde kann bei einem singulären LK nicht sicher zwischen entzündlichen und Lymphomerkrankungen unterschieden werden: So findet sich eine Rindenverdickung bei erhaltener Gefäßarchitektur sowohl bei Lymphomen als auch bei entzündlich-reaktiven LK. Eine US-gezielte Biopsie kann diagnostisch wegweisend sein. Eine metastatische Transformation geht sonografisch oft mit einer Zerstörung der LK-Architektur und des geordneten Gefäßbildes einher. Wichtig sind ferner die LK-Abgrenzbarkeit und die zentrale Ischämie in der farbkodierten und kontrastverstärkten Sonografie.