• Journal of the Korea Convergence Society
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• v.7 no.1
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• pp.105-111
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate effects of three pelvic floor muscle (PFM) exercises on the thickness of PFM and transverse abdominal muscle (TrA), the internal oblique muscle, and the external oblique muscle. The PFM and trunk muscles were measured using ultrasonography in 4 conditions.rest, conventional PFM contraction (Ex A), PFM contraction with hip adductor contraction (Ex B), and PFM contraction with real-time ultrasound imaging (Ex C). The thickness of PFM in Ex C showed a significantly more decrease compared to rest and others (all comparisons, p<.05). The thickness of TrA in Ex C showed a significantly more increase compared to rest and others (all comparisons, p<.05). This study would recommend the use of PFM contraction with real-time ultrasonographic imaging to improve women's incontinence.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.61 no.6
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• pp.194-199
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• 2018

Purpose: Sacral dimples are a common cutaneous anomaly in infants. Spine ultrasonography (USG) is an effective and safe screening tool for patients with a sacral dimple. The aim of this study was to determine the clinical manifestations in patients with an isolated sacral dimple and to review the management of spinal cord abnormalities identified with USG. Methods: We reviewed clinical records and collected data on admissions for a sacral dimple from March 2014 through February 2017 that were evaluated with spine USG by a pediatric radiologist. During the same period, patients who were admitted for other complaints, but were found to have a sacral dimple were also included. Results: This study included 230 infants under 6-months-old (130 males and 100 females; mean age $52.8{\pm}42.6days$). Thirty-one infants with a sacral dimple had an echogenic filum terminale, and 57 children had a filar cyst. Twenty-seven patients had a low-lying spinal cord, and only one patient was suspected of having a tethered cord. Follow-up spine USG was performed in 28 patients, which showed normalization or insignificant change. Conclusion: In this study, all but one infant with a sacral dimple had benign imaging findings. USG can be recommended in infants with a sacral dimple for its convenience and safety.

• Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.555-563
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• 2021

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the pancreatic fat fraction (PFF) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in children with and without obesity and to correlate PFF with body mass index (BMI) z-score, hepatic fat fraction (HFF), and ultrasonography-derived pancreato-perihepatic fat index (PPHFI). Methods: This prospective study included 45 children with obesity and 19 without obesity (control group). PFF and HFF were quantitatively assessed using the abdominal multi-echo Dixon method for MRI. The PPHFI was assessed using transabdominal ultrasonography. Anthropometric, MRI, and ultrasonographic characteristics were compared between the two groups. Correlations between PFF, HFF, PPHFI, and BMI z-scores in each group were also analyzed. Results: The PFF, HFF, PPHFI, and BMI z-score were higher in the group with obesity than in the control group (PFF: 6.65±3.42 vs. 1.78±0.55, HFF: 19.5±13.0 vs. 2.31±1, PPHFI: 3.65 ±1.63 vs. 0.94±0.31, BMI z-score: 2.27±0.56 vs. 0.42±0.54, p<0.01, respectively). PFF was correlated with BMI z-scores, PPHFI, and HFF in the obesity group, and multivariate analysis showed that PFF was strongly correlated with BMI z-score and PPHFI (p<0.05). The BMI z-score was strongly correlated with PFF in the control group (p<0.01). Conclusion: These results suggest that MRI-derived PFF measures are associated with childhood obesity. PFF and PPHFI were also highly correlated in the obesity group. Therefore, PFF may be an objective index of pancreatic fat content and has the potential for clinical utility as a non-invasive biomarker for the assessment of childhood obesity.

• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.51 no.2
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• pp.129-136
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• 2021

Purpose: This study investigated the effects of 1 year of training on imaging diagnosis, using static ultrasonography (US) salivary gland images of Sjögren syndrome patients. Materials and Methods: This study involved 3 inexperienced radiologists with different levels of experience, who received training 1 or 2 days a week under the supervision of experienced radiologists. The training program included collecting patient histories and performing physical and imaging examinations for various maxillofacial diseases. The 3 radiologists (observers A, B, and C) evaluated 400 static US images of salivary glands twice at a 1-year interval. To compare their performance, 2 experienced radiologists evaluated the same images. Diagnostic performance was compared between the 2 evaluations using the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). Results: Observer A, who was participating in the training program for the second year, exhibited no significant difference in AUC between the first and second evaluations, with results consistently comparable to those of experienced radiologists. After 1 year of training, observer B showed significantly higher AUCs than before training. The diagnostic performance of observer B reached the level of experienced radiologists for parotid gland assessment, but differed for submandibular gland assessment. For observer C, who did not complete the training, there was no significant difference in the AUC between the first and second evaluations, both of which showed significant differences from those of the experienced radiologists. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that the training program effectively helped inexperienced radiologists reach the level of experienced radiologists for US examinations.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.79.1-79.11
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• 2022

Background: Pancreatitis is a common disease in which 37% of dogs had evidence of acute or chronic pancreatitis at necropsy. Although biopsy is still the gold standard to diagnose acute pancreatitis, clinical data including ultrasonographic findings and measurement of canine serum pancreatic lipase immunoreactivity (cPLI) are used in routine. However, it may be insufficient in the diagnostic approach to acute pancreatitis. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical diagnostic feasibility of two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D SWE) on canine acute pancreatitis for enhanced diagnostic confidence. Methods: 2D SWE was used to assess pancreatic stiffness and determine the correlation between pancreatic shear wave velocity (SWV) and Spec cPL concentration in 31 dogs with healthy pancreas and 10 dogs with acute pancreatitis. Results: The pancreatic SWV was significantly higher in the acute pancreatitis group (2.67 ± 0.20 m/s) than in the healthy pancreas group (2.30 ± 0.26 m/s; p < 0.05). The moderate positive correlation was found between the pancreatic SWV and Spec cPL concentration (95% confidence interval, 0.214-0.693; r = 0.489; p < 0.05). Conclusions: These results indicated that 2D SWE was feasible for assessing pancreatic stiffness in acute pancreatitis, and that pancreatic SWV using 2D SWE correlated with Spec cPL concentration. SWE could provide a quantitative measure of pancreatic stiffness, which can increase the accuracy of diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs. The 2D SWE can be used as a complementary imaging modality for diagnosing acute pancreatitis in dogs.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2005

Background: To examine the ultrasonographic and magnetic resonance (MRI) imaging findings of a cervical mass type cervical pregnancy. Materials and Methods: The ultrasonographic and MRI findings of 5 patients pathologically confirmed as having a cervical pregnancy were analyzed retrospectively. On ultrasonography, the size and echo pattern of the uterine cervix, the shape and echo pattern of the lesion, the degree and the pattern of blood flow on the color Doppler study and the spectral Doppler pattern were analyzed. The shape, signal intensity, and degree and pattern of enhancement of the lesion were evaluated on MRI. Results: The uterine cervix was enlarged and the size of the lesion was 6.1 to 7.1 (average, 6.5) cm. The endocervical canal was irregularly dilated and showed heterogeneous echogenicity in all 5 cases. Four of the 5 lesions were heterogeneously hyper- or mixed echoic and remaining one was relatively homogeneous echogenic. Doppler ultrasonography revealed an increased vascularity of the peritrophoblastic flow pattern. In all 4 cases where MRI performed, the lesion was irregular in shape and the margin was not sharply demarcated. The T2-weighed image showed that the lesions were mixed signal intensity. Three of the 4 lesions contained high signal intensity nodular portions and a low signal intensity rim was observed along the margin of the nodular portions. The T1-weighted image revealed multiple signal voids along the periphery of the lesions and high signal intensity portions as a result of hemorrhage were noted. The dynamic enhanced study showed that the high signal intensity portions on the T2-weighted image were strongly enhanced similar to the vessels on the early phase and the contrast enhancement gradually decreased with time. Conclusion: A cervical mass type cervical pregnancy can be correctly diagnosed using the patient's clinical symptom, the elevation in the serum ${\beta}$-HCG level, and characteristic ultrasonographic and MRI findings.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.3357-3362
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• 2016

Purpose: To correlate ultrasonographic (US) features of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) with preoperative and post-operative calcitonin levels. Materials and Methods: A total of 130 thyroid nodules diagnosed as MTC were evaluated. Two radiologists retrospectively evaluated preoperative US features according to size, shape, margin, echogenicity, type of calcification, and lymph node status. Postoperative clinical and imaging follow-up (mean duration $31.9 {\pm} 22.5$ months) was performed for detection of tumor recurrence. US features, presence of LN metastasis, and tumor recurrence were compared between MTC nodules with and without elevated preoperative calcitonin (>100 pg/mL). Those with normalized and non-normalized postoperative calcitonin levels groups were also compared. Results: Common US features of MTCs were solid internal content (90.8%), irregular shape (44.6%), circumscribed margin (46.2%), and hypoechogenicity (56.2%). Comparing MTC nodules with and without elevated preoperative calcitonin levels, the size and shape of MTC nodule and lymph node metastasis showed statistical significance (p<0.05). Postoperative calcitonin normalization correlated with US features of tumor size (p=0.002), margin (p=0.034), shape ($p{\leq}0.001$), and presence of calcification (p=0.046). Tumor recurrence and LN metastasis were more prevalent in patients without normalization of postoperative calcitonin than in those with normalization (p=0.001). Conclusions: Serum calcitonin measurement is helpful for early diagnosis and predicting prognosis. Postoperative calcitonin measurement is also important for postoperative US follow up, especially in cases with larger nodule size, presence of calcification, irregular shape, and irregular margin.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.5
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• pp.593-599
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• 2010

A seven-year-old, castrated male Basset hound weighing 21.1 kg was presented for investigation of anorexia, lethargy, weight loss, melena and vomiting for 4 months. In laboratory findings, microcytic hypochromic anemia was identified, and other results were within a normal reference range. On the plain radiographs, soft tissue opacity was increased in the descending duodenal region; and on the contrast radiographs, ulcerative changes were identified in the entire segment of descending duodenum. Ultrasonographic findings included increased duodenal wall thickness and duodenal wall layering was lost. Endoscopy revealed irregular mucosal surface and luminal narrowing of the descending duodenum. There was concentrically thickened descending duodenum on the computed tomography. And the wall of the descending duodenum showed heterogenous enhancement after contrast agent injection. On histopathological findings, both chronic inflammation with mucosal proliferation and neoplastic changes with multiple small glandslike structures invading into the submucosa were identified. Based on these findings, presented case was diagnosed as an annular form duodenal adenocarcinoma. After 13 months of supportive medical treatment, the patient was expired. The purpose of this case report was to describe the duodenal adenocarcinoma in a dog.

• Investigative Magnetic Resonance Imaging
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.224-230
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• 2015

Purpose: To determine whether we should recommend ultrasonography (US) for an incidental thyroid nodule identified by additional cervicothoracic sagittal T2-weighted image (C-T sag T2WI) of lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Materials and Methods: A retrospective study of 61 patients who underwent both lumbar spine MRI and thyroid US between December 2011 and April 2015 was conducted. For all US-found thyroid nodules > 1 cm, investigators evaluated whether there was any correlation between thyroid nodule detectability by C-T sag T2WI and US features such as echogenicity, composition, or suspicion of malignancy. Results: Solid hypoechoic (2/4; 50%) or mixed echoic nodules (4/8; 50%) appeared to be found relatively more easily by C-T sag T2WI than more benign-looking solid isoechoic (1/4; 25%) or spongiform nodules (0/6; 0%). Among six nodules with ultrasonographic suspicion for malignancy, only one nodule was detected by C-T sag T2WI. Conclusion: If an incidental thyroid nodule is seen by C-T sag T2WI, it would be better to recommend thyroid US for identifying malignancy.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.28 no.6
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• pp.349-354
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• 2016

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to investigate the thickness of deep neck flexors (DNF) and sternocleidomastoid muscle (SCM) bilaterally during deep neck flexor endurance test using ultrasonography images. Methods: Healthy volunteers (n=22), 20-25 (mean 22.2) years old, were recruited for the study. Participants were asked to perform the craniocervical flexion test (CCFT) in a seated position to measure deep neck flexor endurance. The thickness of DNF and SCM was assessed bilaterally and was measured using ultrasonography images at resting, contracted, pre-terminal and terminal phases of the neck muscle endurance test. Muscle contraction pattern was also observed along with the changes in muscle thickness from the resting phase to the terminal phase. Repeated-measure ANOVA was employed to compare muscle thickness bilaterally at each phase. Results: The thickness of right and left muscles was found to be significantly different in DNF both at resting and contracted phases (p=0.02, p<0.01, respectively), whereas no significant difference was observed in SCM at resting or contracted phases (p=0.59, p=0.18, respectively). Thickness changes from resting to contracted phase were not significantly different both in DNF and SCM (p=0.18, p=0.22, respectively). Muscle contraction patterns in right and left muscles were shown to be similar. Conclusion: The current study, performed on (with) healthy subjects, significantly detected different right and left muscle thickness in DNF, but the muscle contraction patterns were similar in DNF and SCM bilaterally. Further study is required to investigate DNF and SCM muscle size and function in people with neck pain.