Survival Analysis of Patients Undergoing Intraoperative Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in the Surgical Treatment of Malignant Glioma

Objective:Complete resection of malignant gliomas is often challenging.Our previous study indicated that intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound(ICEUS)could aid in the detection of residual tumor remnants and the total removal of brain lesions.This study aimed to investigate the survival rates of patients undergoing resection with or without the use of ICEUS and to assess the impact of ICEUS on the prognosis of patients with malignant glioma.Methods:A total of 64 patients diagnosed with malignant glioma(WHO grade HI and IV)who underwent surgery between 2012 and 2018 were included.Among them,29 patients received ICEUS.The effects of ICEUS on overall survival(OS)and progression-free survival(PFS)of patients were evaluated.A quantitative analysis was performed to compare ICEUS parameters between gliomas and the surrounding tissues.Results:The ICEUS group showed better survival rates both in OS and PFS than the control group.The univariate analysis revealed that age,pathology and ICEUS were significant prognostic factors for PFS,with only age being a significant prognostic factor for OS.In multivariate analysis,age and ICEUS were significant prognostic factors for both OS and PFS.The quantitative analysis showed that the intensity and transit time of microbubbles reaching the tumors were significantly different from those of microbubbles reaching the surrounding tissue.Conclusion:ICEUS facilitates the identification of residual tumors.Age and ICEUS are prognostic factors for malignant glioma surgery,and use of ICEUS offers a better prognosis for patients with malignant glioma.

Current use of intraoperative ultrasound in modern liver surgery

Ultrasound plays an important role not only in preoperative diagnosis but also in intraoperative guidance for liver surgery.Intraoperative ultrasound(IOUS)has become an indispensable tool for modern liver surgeons,especially for minimally invasive surgeries,partially substituting for the surgeon’s hands.In fundamental mode,Doppler mode,contrast enhancement,elastography,and real-time virtual sonography,IOUS can provide additional real-time information regarding the intrahepatic anatomy,tumor site and characteristics,macrovascular invasion,resection margin,transection plane,perfusion and outflow of the remnant liver,and local ablation efficacy for both open and minimally invasive liver resections.Identification and localization of intrahepatic lesions and surrounding structures are crucial for performing liver resection,preserving the adjacent vital vascular and bile ducts,and sparing the functional liver parenchyma.Intraoperative ultrasound can provide critical information for intraoperative decision-making and navigation.Therefore,all liver surgeons must master IOUS techniques,and IOUS should be included in the training of modern liver surgeons.Further investigation of the potential benefits and advances in these techniques will increase the use of IOUS in modern liver surgeries worldwide.This study comprehensively reviews the current use of IOUS in modern liver surgeries.

Value of contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasound for cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma:A report of 20 cases

AIM： To assess the clinical value of contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasound （CE-IOUS） as a novel tool in partial hepatectomy for cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma （HCC）. METHODS： From January 2007 to September 2007, a total of 20 consecutive cirrhotic patients with HCC scheduled to undergo partial hepatectomy were studied. Preoperative contrast enhanced computer tomography （CT） and/or magnetic resonance （MR） scans were performed within 1-2 wk before operation. Intraoperative ultrasound （IOUS） and CE-IOUS were carried out after mobilization of the liver. Lesions on precontrast and postcontrast scans were counted and mapped. CE-IOUS was performed with intravenous injection of ultrasound contrast agents SonoVue （Bracco Imaging, Milan, Italy）. Arterial, portal and late phases of contrast enhancement were recorded and analyzed. Nodules showing arterial phase hyper-enhancing and/or hypo-enhancing in late parenchymal phase were considered malignant and removed surgically. Ultrasound-guided biopsy and ethanol ablation would be an option if the nodule could not be removed surgically. Newly detected nodules on IOUS showing iso-enhancement in both arterial and late phases were considered benign. These nodules were either removed surgically if they were close to the main lesion or followed by examinations of alpha-fetoprotein （AFP） level and ultrasound and/or CT/MR every 3 too. RESULTS： IOUS found 41 nodules in total, among which 17 （41.46%） were newly detected compared to preoperative imaging. Thirty-three nodules were diagnosed malignant by CE-IOUS, including one missed by IOUS. The sensitivity and specificity of CE-IOUS on detecting HCC nodules are 100% （33/33 and 100% （9/9）, respectively. Nine nodules were considered benign by CE-IOUS, four was confirmed at histology and five by follow-up. CE-IOUS changed the surgical strategy in 35% （7/20） of patients and avoid unnecessary intervention in 30% （6/20） of patients. CONCLUSION： CE-IOUS is a useful means to characterize the nodules detected by IOUS in cirrhotic liver, to find isoechoic HCC nodules which can not be shown on IOUS and to improve the accuracy of conventional IOUS, thus it can be used as an essential tool in the surgical treatment of cirrhotic patients with HCC.

Intraoperative ultrasound as an educational guide for laparoscopic biliary surgery

AIM: To analyze the efficacy of routine intraoperative ultrasound (IOUS) as a guide for understanding biliary tract anatomy, to avoid bile duct injury (BDI) after laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC), as well as any burden during the learning period. METHODS: A retrospective analysis was performed using 644 consecutive patients who underwent LC from 1991 to 2006. An educational program with the use of IOUS as an operative guide has been used in 276 cases since 1998. RESULTS: IOUS was highly feasible even in patients with high-grade cholecystitis. No BDI was observed after the introduction of the educational program, despite 72% of operations being performed by inexperienced surgeons. Incidences of other morbidity, mortality, and late complications were comparable before and after the introduction of routine IOUS. However, the operation time was significantly extended after the educational program began (P < 0.001), and the grade of laparoscopic cholecystitis (P = 0.002), use of IOUS (P = 0.01), and the experience of the surgeons (P = 0.05) were significant factors for extending the length of operation. CONCLUSION: IOUS during LC was found to be a highly feasible modality, which provided accurate, real- time information about the biliary structures. Theeducational program using IOUS is expected to minimize the incidence of BDI following LC, especially when performed by less-skilled surgeons.

Application of Intraoperative Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound in the Resection of Brain Tumors

Objective:To investigate the value of routine intraoperative ultrasound(IU)and intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound(ICEUS)in the surgical treatment of brain tumors,and to explore the utilization of ICEUS for the removal of the remnants surrounding the resection cavity.Methods:In total,51 patients who underwent operations from 2012 to 2018 due to different tumors in the brain were included in this study.The clinical data were evaluated retrospectively.IU was performed in all patients,among which 28 patients underwent ICEUS.The effects of IU and ICEUS on tumor resection and recurrence were evaluated.

INTRAOPERATIVE ULTRASOUND FOR HEPATIC NEOPLASM DURING SURGERY

Objective.The purpose of this study was to determine the impact of intraoperative ultrasound(IOUS)on the management of patients with neoplasms of the liver. Methods.Forty nine patients operated on for liver or other pathologic processes were examined intraoperatively with 5.0 MHz special ultrasound transducers during surgical exploration of the abdomen.Subjects were evaluated because of known or suspected disease of the liver.Preoperative imaging studies included percutaneous ultrasound(n=49),magnetic resonance imaging(n=11),and computed tomography(n=34).Intraoperative evaluation on all patients included inspection,bimanual palpation,and ultrasonography.Comparison between preoperative imagings and IOUS were analysed. Results.Sensitivity for detection of hepatic neoplasms showed in intraoperative ultrasound,percutaneous ultrasound,magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography as 100%(23/23),74%(17/23),74%(14/19) and 75%(6/8).Specificity showed 100%(26/26),100%(26/26),93%(14/15) and 67(2/3).In seven patients(14%),the neoplasms were not found by inspection,bimanual palpation,and identified only by IOUS. Conclusions.Intraoperative ultrasound is the most sensitive and specific method for detection and surgery of liver neoplasms,especially the occult neoplasms and small size lesion(<2cm).

Resection of Vaginal Septum in Obstructed Hemivagina and Ipsilateral Renal Anomaly: Utility of Three Dimensional Intraoperative Ultrasound

Background: Obstructed hemivagina and ipsilateral renal anomaly (OHVIRA) syndrome is a rare congenital condition of the female urogenital tract, presenting intraoperative challenges. We demonstrate the utility of three dimensional intraoperative ultrasound to better delineate anatomy and aid in optimal resection of the vaginal septum. Case: A 12-year-old female was referred to pediatric and adolescent gynecology for irregular periods and evaluation of her gynecologic organs. Imaging studies confirmed OHVIRA syndrome. She underwent uncomplicated vaginal septum resection, guided by three dimensional intraoperative ultrasound. Summary and Conclusion: Intraoperative ultrasound can better delineate challenging anatomy. We show that three dimensional intraoperative ultrasound offers significant advantages over traditional two dimensional ultrasound and is a supplement to MRI, which may be helpful in complex anatomical cases like OHVIRA syndrome.

Laparoscopic ultrasonography as an alternative to intraoperative cholangiography during laparoscopic cholecystectomy

To assess the role of laparoscopic ultrasound (LUS) as a substitute for intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) during cholecystectomy. METHODSWe present a MEDLINE and PubMed literature search, having used the key-words “laparoscopic intraoperative ultrasound” and “laparoscopic cholecystectomy”. All relevant English language publications from 2000 to 2016 were identified, with data extracted for the role of LUS in the anatomical delineation of the biliary tract, detection of common bile duct stones (CBDS), prevention or early detection of biliary duct injury (BDI), and incidental findings during laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Data for the role of LUS vs IOC in complex situations (i.e., inflammatory disease/fibrosis) were specifically analyzed. RESULTSWe report data from eighteen reports, 13 prospective non-randomized trials, 5 retrospective trials, and two meta-analyses assessing diagnostic accuracy, with one analysis also assessing costs, duration of the examination, and anatomical mapping. Overall, LUS was shown to provide highly sensitive mapping of the extra-pancreatic biliary anatomy in 92%-100% of patients, with more difficulty encountered in delineation of the intra-pancreatic segment of the biliary tract (73.8%-98%). Identification of vascular and biliary variations has been documented in two studies. Although inflammatory disease hampered accuracy, LUS was still advantageous vs IOC in patients with obscured anatomy. LUS can be performed before any dissection and repeated at will to guide the surgeon especially when hilar mapping is difficult due to fibrosis and inflammation. In two studies LUS prevented conversion in 91% of patients with difficult scenarios. Considering CBDS detection, LUS sensitivity and specificity were 76%-100% and 96.2%-100%, respectively. LUS allowed the diagnosis/treatment of incidental findings of adjacent organs. No valuable data for BDI prevention or detection could be retrieved, even if no BDI was documented in the reports analyzed. Literature analysis proved LUS as a safe, quick, non-irradiating, cost-effective technique, which is comparatively well known although largely under-utilized, probably due to the perception of a difficult learning curve. CONCLUSIONWe highlight the advantages and limitations of laparoscopic ultrasound during cholecystectomy, and underline its value in difficult scenarios when the anatomy is obscured.

Reply to "Application of contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasonography in the decision-making about hepatocellular carcinoma operation"

The use of contrast-enhanced intraoperative ultrasound for hepatocellular carcinoma has been already proposed as a novel technique to stage the disease during surgical resection. In the herein presented "letter to the editor", the authors underline some important points, which have been raised following paper published in the January issue of World Journal of Gastroenterology.

Application and prospects of AI-based radiomics in ultrasound diagnosis

Artificial intelligence (AI)-based radiomics has attracted considerable research attention in the field of medical imaging, including ultrasound diagnosis. Ultrasound imaging has unique advantages such as high temporal resolution, low cost, and no radiation exposure. This renders it a preferred imaging modality for several clinical scenarios. This review includes a detailed introduction to imaging modalities, including Brightness-mode ultrasound, color Doppler flow imaging, ultrasound elastography, contrast-enhanced ultrasound, and multi-modal fusion analysis. It provides an overview of the current status and prospects of AI-based radiomics in ultrasound diagnosis, highlighting the application of AI-based radiomics to static ultrasound images, dynamic ultrasound videos, and multi-modal ultrasound fusion analysis.

Effectiveness of intraoperative ultrasonography for para-aortic lymph nodes in preventing unnecessary lymphadenectomy in ovarian carcinoma

Objective: To evaluate the usefulness of intraoperative ultrasonography (IU) for para-aortic nodes to identify women who do not require pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy in ovarian carcinoma. Methods: Computed tomography (CT) was used for assessing both pelvic and para-aortic lymph nodes, and IU only for para-aortic nodes in 87 women with ovarian carcinoma. All women underwent surgery with routine systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy. We assumed that no lymphadenectomy had been performed when no enlarged node was detected by either CT or IU or when the woman was in T1 stage. Under these assumptions, the numbers of women who would have had missed metastases and who could have avoided lymphadenectomy were counted. These figures were recounted on the combination of T stage and IU. Results: A total of 22 women had pathological node metastases. The numbers of women with missed metastases on the basis of CT, IU, and T stage were 12, 2, 5, and these who could have avoided lymphadenectomy were 72, 39, and 49, respectively. There were more women avoiding lymphadenectomy by CT than IU and T stage;however, more women with missed node metastases. Both numbers were not significantly different between IU and T stage. On the combination of T stage and IU, 29 of 49 women in T1 stage could have avoided lymphadenectomy without missed metastases. Conclusions: IU for the para-aortic node is a useful method for identifying women who do not require lymphadenectomy for T1 stage ovarian carcinoma.

Clinical significance of B-mode ultrasound found bladder trabeculation in BPH patients

Objective To study the role of bladder trabeculation found by B-mode ultrasound in evaluating the degree of bladder outlet obstruction ( BOO ) and the bladder function in benign prostatic hyperplasia ( BPH) patients. Methods Conducted prospective research to determine differences in clinical data and urodynamic

术中B超指引颅内压传感器置入移位、变形脑室的应用价值

目的 分析探讨术中B超在重型颅脑外伤脑疝患者去骨瓣减压术中脑室型颅内压监护传感器置入变形、移位脑室的临床应用价值。方法 对34例重型颅脑外伤脑疝需先行去骨瓣减压术的患者,去骨瓣减压后在B超指导下行脑室穿刺,对这些患者脑室型颅内压传感器穿刺到位情况、并发症情况回顾分析。结果 34例患者均成功置入脑室,其中33例首次置入成功,无术后颅内感染及穿刺相关出血病例。结论 术中B超指导去骨瓣减压术后行脑室型颅内压监护传感器置入变形移位脑室安全有效,值得应用推广。

超声刀在开放性甲状腺手术中的应用价值研究

目的探究超声刀在开放性甲状腺手术中的作用。方法选取2022年5月—2023年8月于临淄区妇幼保健院(齐都医院)行开放性甲状腺手术的86例患者为研究对象,按手术器械的不同分为对照组(n=43)、研究组(n=43)。两组均行开放性甲状腺手术,对照组术中使用传统电刀,研究组使用超声刀。对比两组手术指标、并发症发生率及住院时间。结果研究组手术时间、术中出血量、术后24 h引流量、切口长度均少于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P均<0.05)。研究组并发症发生率为2.33%(1/43),低于对照组的13.95%(6/43),差异有统计学意义(χ^(2)=3.888,P<0.05)。研究组住院时间短于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。结论开放性甲状腺手术中应用超声刀手术指标较优,并发症风险较低,有助于患者术后康复。

三维可视化、荧光影像联合术中超声在腹腔镜解剖性肝切除术中的应用

目的分析三维可视化、荧光影像联合术中超声在针对原发性肝癌的腹腔镜解剖性肝切除术中的应用效果。方法回顾性分析武汉市中心医院肝胆胰外科2023年1月至2023年12月期间行腹腔镜解剖性肝切除的22例原发性肝癌病人的临床资料。术前通过专业软件建立肝脏三维可视化模型并规划手术路径,术中通过荧光影像技术和术中超声的导航,进行解剖性肝切除。结果22例病人均按术前规划顺利完成手术。21例病人吲哚菁绿染色均成功,有1例因肝硬化严重而导致肿瘤吲哚菁绿染色未成功,但亦通过术中超声顺利完成解剖性肝切除。病理结果:肝细胞癌20例,胆管细胞癌1例,混合型肝癌1例;切缘均为阴性。病人术后恢复良好,顺利出院。随访2~8个月未见肿瘤复发。结论三维可视化、吲哚菁绿荧光影像联合术中超声对进行腹腔镜解剖性肝切除术提供了坚实的基础。

超声在脑深部肿瘤治疗中的应用进展

脑深部肿瘤是指生长于三脑室、松果体区、鞍区等深部结构处的肿瘤,周围毗邻重要神经、血管结构,手术难度高,术后并发症多,其治疗往往是以手术为主辅以放化疗的综合治疗。超声不仅可以识别肿瘤的大小、形状、位置和深度,帮助医师更精确地定位和切除肿瘤,减少手术损伤,还可以辅助肿瘤治疗药物跨越血脑屏障进入靶向部位,甚至直接消融肿瘤。本文主要从非手术应用和手术应用两方面综述超声在脑深部肿瘤治疗中的应用进展。

相位对比电影MRI及术中超声在Chiari畸形1型手术方式选择中的临床应用进展

枕大孔减压术是治疗Chiari畸形1型(CM1)患者的通用手术,但减压范围、临床疗效存在争议,没有单一、明确的治疗方法。脑脊液流体动力学的改善可能与临床症状的缓解有关,相位对比电影MRI(PC-MRI)联合术中超声(IOUS)可以准确评估颅颈交界区的脑脊液流体动力学改变,两者结合可以为损害程度评估提供有效信息,指导手术方式的选择,预测临床改善效果,减少再手术的发生。本文对PC-RMI联合IOUS在CM1术式选择中的临床应用进行综述。

Non-anatomical liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma:the SegSubTe classification to overcome the problem of heterogeneity

Background:The superiority of anatomical resection(AR)vs.non-anatomical resection(NAR)in the surgical management of hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is debated.ARs are well-defined procedures,whereas the lack of NAR standardization results in heterogeneous outcomes.This study aimed to introduce the SegSubTe classification for NAR detailing the appropriateness of the level of surgical section of the Glissonean pedicles feeding the tumor.Methods:A single-center retrospective analysis of pre-and postoperative imaging of consecutive patients treated with NAR for single HCC between 2012 and 2020 was conducted.The quality of surgery was assessed classifying the type of vascular supply and the level of surgical section(segmental,subsegmental or terminal next to the tumor)of vascular pedicles feeding the HCCs;then,the population was divided in“SegSubTe-IN”or“SegSubTe-OUT”groups,and the tumor recurrence and survival were analyzed.Results:Ninety-seven patients who underwent NAR were included;76%were SegSubTe-IN and 24%were SegSubTe-OUT.Total disease recurrence,local recurrence and cut-edge recurrence in the SegSubTe-IN vs.SegSubTe-OUT groups were 50%vs.83%(P=0.006),20%vs.52%(P=0.003)and 16%vs.39%(P=0.020),respectively.SegSubTe-OUT odds ratio for local recurrence was 4.1 at univariate regression analysis.One-,three-,and five-year disease-free survival rates in the SegSubTe-IN vs.SegSubTe-OUT groups were 81%,58%and 35%vs.46%,21%and 11%,respectively(P<0.001).Conclusions:The SegSubTe classification is a useful tool to stratify and standardize NAR for HCC,aiming at improving long-term oncological outcomes and reducing the heterogeneity of quality of NAR for HCC.

Benefits and drawbacks of radiofrequency ablation via percutaneous or minimally invasive surgery for treating hepatocellular carcinoma

The management of early stage hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)presents significant challenges.While radiofrequency ablation(RFA)has shown safety and effectiveness in treating HCC,with lower mortality rates and shorter hospital stays,its high recurrence rate remains a significant impediment.Consequently,achieving improved survival solely through RFA is challenging,particularly in retrospective studies with inherent biases.Ultrasound is commonly used for guiding percutaneous RFA,but its low contrast can lead to missed tumors and the risk of HCC recurrence.To enhance the efficiency of ultrasound-guided percutaneous RFA,various techniques such as artificial ascites and contrast-enhanced ultrasound have been developed to facilitate complete tumor ablation.Minimally invasive surgery(MIS)offers advantages over open surgery and has gained traction in various surgical fields.Recent studies suggest that laparoscopic intraoperative RFA(IORFA)may be more effective than percutaneous RFA in terms of survival for HCC patients unsuitable for surgery,highlighting its significance.Therefore,combining MIS-IORFA with these enhanced percutaneous RFA techniques may hold greater significance for HCC treatment using the MIS-IORFA approach.This article reviews liver resection and RFA in HCC treatment,comparing their merits and proposing a trajectory involving their combination in future therapy.

超声医学在脑胶质瘤诊治方面的研究进展

脑胶质瘤恶性程度高,患者预后差,胶质瘤的标准化治疗是最大限度地手术切除及放化疗。由于开颅术中“脑漂移”的存在和保护脑功能区的需求,术中超声多种新技术可发挥实时导航定位、协助判断肿瘤边界和识别残留病灶的作用;此外,超声造影和人工智能技术的引入为快速分子病理学诊断展现出广阔的应用前景。同时,超声响应性纳米体系具有临时打开血脑屏障和精确控制药物释放的双重效应,并呈现出优异的生物相容性和针对胶质瘤的高度特异性。本文对上述临床和基础两个方面的研究进展进行述评,旨在为脑胶质瘤的诊疗提供新的参考。