Determining the Effect of Acute Abdominal Pain Using Ultrasound

Acute abdominal pain is a medical emergency that is characterized by abrupt, acute, recently developed abdominal pain that is accompanied by other signs that are confined in the abdomen area. The purpose of this study was to illustrate how ultrasonography may be used to identify sudden abdominal pain. From December 2021 and March 2022, a comprehensive examination of 50 patients with acute abdominal pain was conducted. Seven hospitals in Khartoum State, Sudan, examined individuals with clinically suspected abdominal and pelvic deformities using 3.5 MHz ultrasound machines. Out of the 50 (100%) patients who were presented with acute abdominal pain 10 (20%) were appendicitis, 9 (18%) were cholecystitis, 8 (16%) were Nephrolithiasis, 3 (6%) were Choledocholithiasis, 3 (6%) were Chronic kidney disease, 3 (6%) were Cholelithiasis, 3 (6%) were Cystitis, 4 (8%) were Ascites, 1 (2%) was acute kidney injury, 1 (2%) was Acute Peritonitis, 1 (2%) was Diverticulum and 1 (2%) each was of Epigastric hernia, Hepatosplenomegaly, Liver cirrhosis, Nephritis and Ovarian cysts respectively. According to the study results, ultrasonography (US) proceeds to be the go-to imaging strategy in most situations, particularly for younger and female patients, where limiting exposure to radiation must be obligated. The application of Computerized Tomography CT should be restricted in circumstances where there is no diagnostic US and, in all situations, where there is a significant disparity between medical symptoms and negative imaging in the US.

Complications of high intensity focused ultrasound in patients with recurrent and metastatic abdominal tumors

AIM： To analyze the local and systemic complications of high intensity focused ultrasound （HIFU） for patients with recurrent and metastatic abdominal tumors. METHODS： From Aug 2001 to Aug 2004, 17 patients with recurrent and metastatic abdominal tumors were enrolled in this study. Real-time sonography was taken, and vital signs, liver and kidney function, skin burns, local reactions, and systemic effects were observed and recored before, during, and after HIFU. CT and MR/were also taken before and after HIFU. RESULTS： All 17 patients had skin burns and pain in the treatment region; the next common complication was neurapraxia of the stomach and intestines to variable degrees. The other local and systemic complications were relatively rare. Severe complications were present in two patients; one developed a superior mesenteric artery infarction resulting in necrosis of the entire small intestines, and the other one suffered from a perforation in terminal ileum due to HIFU treatment. CONCLUSION： Although HIFU is a one of noninvasive treatments for the recurrent and metastatic abdominal tumors, there are still some common and severe complications which need serious consideration.

Fatty liver disease in severe obese patients:Diagnostic value of abdominal ultrasound

AIM:To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of abdominal ultrasound (US) for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in severe obese subjects and its relation to histological grade of steatosis. METHODS: A consecutive series of obese patients, who underwent bariatric surgery from October 2004 to May 2005, was selected. Ultrasonography was performed in all patients as part of routine preoperative time and an intraoperative wedge biopsy was obtained at the beginning of the bariatric surgery. The US and histological findings of steatosis were compared, considering histology as the gold standard. RESULTS: The study included 105 patients. The mean age was 37.2 ± 10.6 years and 75.2% were female. The histological prevalence of steatosis was 89.5%. The sensitivity and specificity of US in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis were, respectively, 64.9% (95% CI: 54.9-74.3) and 90.9% (95% CI: 57.1-99.5). The positive predictive value and negative predictive value were, respectively, 98.4% (95% CI: 90.2-99.9) and 23.3% (95% CI: 12.3-39.0). The presence of steatosis onUS was associated to advanced grades of steatosis on histology (P = 0.016). CONCLUSION: Preoperative abdominal US in our series has not shown to be an accurate method for the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis in severe obese patients. Until another non-invasive method demonstrates better sensitivity and specificity values, histological evaluation may be recommended to these patients undergoing bariatric surgery.

Intraoperative abdominal ultrasound in oncologic imaging

Significant advances in ultrasound technology have created new opportunities for its use in oncologic imaging. The advent of new transducers with focal beam technology and higher frequency has solidified the role of intraoperative sonography (IOUS) as an invaluable imaging modality in oncologic surgery of the liver, kidneys and pancreas. The ability to detect and characterize small lesions and the precise intraoperative localization of such tumors is essential for adequate surgical planning in segmental or lobar hepatic resections, metastasectomy, nephron-sparing surgery, and partial pancreatectomy. Also, diagnostic characterization of small equivocal lesions deemed indeterminate by conventional preoperative imaging such as multidetector computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging, has become an important application of IOUS. This article will review the current applications of IOUS in the liver, kidneys and pancreas.

Accuracy of abdominal ultrasound for the diagnosis of small bowel obstruction in the emergency department

BACKGROUND： Emergency physicians frequently encounter patients with acute small bowel obstructions （SBO）. Although computed tomography （CT） imaging is the current gold standard in the assessment of patients with suspected SBO in the emergency department, a few studies have examined the use of ultrasound as an alternative imaging technique. METHODS： We evaluated the accuracy of ultrasound performed in the ED by a variety of providers （physicians with various levels of training, physician assistants） compared to CT imaging in 47 patients with suspected SBOs. RESULTS： Our data demonstrated a sensitivity of 93.8% and a specificity of 93.3% when compared to abdominal CT, and a sensitivity of 94.3% and specificity of 95.2% using a composite endpoint of abdominal CT and discharge diagnosis. CONCLUSION： Ultrasound can play an important role in the identification of small bowe obstructions in ED patients.

Influence of the abdominal wall on the nonlinear propagation of focused therapeutic ultrasound

This article theoretically studies the influence of inhomogeneous abdominal walls on focused therapeutic ultrasound based on the phase screen model. An inhomogeneous tissue is considered as a combination of a homogeneous medium and a phase aberration screen. Variations of acoustic parameters such as peak positive pressure, peak negative pressure, and acoustic intensity are discussed with respect to the phase screen statistics of human abdominal walls. Results indicate that the abdominal wall can result in energy loss of the sound in the focal plane. For a typical human abdominal wall with correlation length of 7.9 mm and variance of 0.36, the peak acoustic intensity radiated from a 1MHz transmitter with a radius of 30 mm can be reduced by about 14% at the focal plane.

The importance of visualization of appendix on abdominal ultrasound for the diagnosis of appendicitis in children: A quality assessment review

BACKGROUND:Ultrasound has the first line investigation role in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis in children.The purpose of this study was to perform a quality assessment review on the visualization rate of appendix on ultrasound in children in the community hospital setting.METHODS:A retrospective chart review of the abdominal ultrasound findings for the visualization of the appendix was performed on paediatric patients ranging from 5 to 18 years.Data were collected from the two community hospitals of Toronto by using hospital electronic medical record for the ultrasound findings in patients presented with abdominal pain.RESULTS:Data from two community hospitals indicated visualization rate of the appendix as 11.0%and 23.2%for site 1 and site 2 respectively.In cases where the ultrasound was repeated the visualization rate remains the same.A two-proportion z-test was performed to find whether the visualization of appendix increases the likelihood of diagnosing appendicitis.The results revealed that the visualization of an appendix(P=0.52),significantly improved the diagnosis of appendicitis(z=34,P<0.001).CONCLUSION:Visualization of an appendix on ultrasound increases the likelihood of correctly diagnosing appendicitis.In our study,we found low visualization rate of appendix on ultrasound that could be the result of many factors that contribute towards the low visualization rate of an appendix on ultrasound.Hence,the challenges in identifying appendix should be minimized to improve the visualization and diagnosis of appendicitis on ultrasound.

22-gauge core vs 22-gauge aspiration needle for endoscopic ultrasound-guided sampling of abdominal masses

AIM To compare the aspiration needle(AN) and core biopsy needle(PC) in endoscopic ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration(EUS-FNA) of abdominal masses.METHODS Consecutive patients referred for EUS-FNA were included in this prospective single-center trial. Each patient underwent a puncture of the lesion with both standard 22-gauge(G) AN(Echo Tip Ultra; Cook Medical, Bloomington, Indiana, United States) and the novel 22 G PC(Echo Tip Pro Core; Cook Medical, Bloomington, Indiana, United States) in a randomized fashion; histology was attempted in the PC group only. The main study endpoint was the overall diagnostic accuracy, including the contribution of histology to the final diagnosis. Secondary outcome measures included material adequacy, number of needle passes, and complications.RESULTS Fifty six consecutive patients(29 men; mean age 68 years) with pancreatic lesions(n = 38), lymphadenopathy(n = 13), submucosal tumors(n = 4), or others lesions(n = 1) underwent EUS-FNA using both of the needles in a randomized order. AN and PC reached similar overall results for diagnostic accuracy(AN: 88.9 vs PC: 96.1, P = 0.25), specimen adequacy(AN: 96.4% vs PC: 91.1%, P = 0.38), mean number of passes(AN: 1.5 vs PC: 1.7, P = 0.14), mean cellularity score(AN: 1.7 vs PC: 1.1, P = 0.058), and complications(none). A diagnosis on the basis of histology was achieved in the PC group in 36(64.3%) patients, and in 2 of those as the sole modality. In patients with available histology the mean cellularity score was higher for AN(AN: 1.7 vs PC: 1.0, P = 0.034); no other differences were of statistical significance.CONCLUSION Both needles achieved high overall diagnostic yields and similar performance characteristics for cytological diagnosis; histological analysis was only possible in 2/3 of cases with the new needle.

Automatic Measurement of Fetal Abdominal Biometric Parameters—Feasibility on a Portable Ultrasound Device

An automatic method for measuring the fetal mean abdominal diameter (MAD) or abdominal circumference (AC) with ultrasound is proposed. From a correctly presented abdominal section suitable for MAD or AC measurement, the location of fetal abdomen is detected by image processing. Thereafter, an active contour model is converged along the abdominal boundary for measurement purposes. The validation data set contained 310 images of fetuses with gestational age (GA) from 14 to 41 weeks. The measurement success rate was 88.1%. By manually indicating the location of the abdomen, the success rate was further improved to 95.8% for the failed cases. The correlation between manual and automatic measurements was 0.95 and the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.976 (95% confidence interval (CI);0.969 - 0.981). The average method execution time was 0.3 s. The mean error was lower in young fetuses (0.4%) than in older fetuses (-2.1%). The proposed cross-platform method was implemented on a portable, low-cost ultrasound machine prototype targeted for low- and middle-income countries (LMIC);the results achieved were comparable to those of other state-of-the-art automatic methods.

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage of a traumatic abdominal wall hematoma in the emergency department

BACKGROUND:Abdominal wall hematoma is due to trauma,coagulation disorders or anticoagulation therapy complications.METHODS:in this report we present a case of a 44-year-old female who suffered from blunt abdominal trauma and presented to the emergency department with sharp abdominal pain and ecchymosis.FAST and abdominal computerized tomography(CT) revealed an abdominal wall hematoma.Treatment with an ultrasound-guided percutaneous drainage was performed successfully.RESULTS:The patient remained under observation for six hours with serial ultrasound scans,and no signs of hematoma recurrence were present.She was discharged the same day with clinical improvement.CONCLUSION:Complete history investigation and clinical examination help to make a correct diagnosis of abdominal wall hematoma,select a prompt treatment,and reduce complications.

Abdominal pregnancy secondary to iatrogenic uterine perforation: A case report and literature review

Abdominal pregnancy is a rare and life-threatening form of ectopic pregnancy.It is defined as an ectopic pregnancy in a region of the peritoneal cavity that does not include the fallopian tubes,ovaries,or their associated ligamentous structures.Many abdominal pregnancies are caused by secondary implantation in the peritoneal cavity after tubal abortion,rupture,or uterine rupture.Here,we report a case of abdominal pregnancy resulting from iatrogenic uterine perforation during the induced abortion of an early intrauterine pregnancy,which had been misdiagnosed as a ruptured corpus luteum cyst due to the sudden rupture of the abdominal gestational sac,complicating intra-abdominal hemorrhage.The true diagnosis was missed by vaginal ultrasound and confirmed by laparoscopic exploration.We discuss the details of the case management and review the relevant literature.©2023 Zhejiang University.

Morphological changes of the lateral abdominal muscles in adolescent soccer players with low back pain: A prospective cohort study

Background:Most papers examining the lateral abdominal muscles(LAMs)and low back pain(LBP)are cross-sectional,with groups of participants being divided into a control and an LBP group.We hypothesized that morphological measurements of the LAMs in adolescent soccer players may predict future LBP incidence.The aim of this study was to examine the associations between the morphology of LAMs and LBP incidence rate among adolescent soccer players.Methods:Ninety-seven adolescent male soccer players with no LBP at baseline were recruited into the prospective cohort study.The thickness of the LAMs was measured at baseline by ultrasound imaging in a supine rest position.Nine cases of LBP occurred during the follow-up 6-month observation.Results:An obliquus internus(OI)asymmetry was related to increasing LBP risk(odds ratio=19.99;95%CI:2.4-167.9).Spearman correlation also showed a linear relationship between OI asymmetry value and duration of LBP(R=0.75,p=0.02).An OI side-to-side difference greater than 1.25 mm suggests possible LBP incidence in the 6-month observation among adolescent soccer players.Conclusion:The morphological changes of the OI may be related to LBP’s incidence in adolescent soccer players.The presence of OI asymmetry increases the odds of LBP by at least 2.4 times.Hypertrophy of the OI on one side of the body may contribute to trunk muscle imbalance.

Chronic abdominal pain secondary to mesenteric panniculitis treated successfully with endoscopic ultrasonography-guided celiac plexus block: A case report

Mesenteric panniculitis is a chronic illness that is characterized by fibrosing inflammation of the mesenteries that can lead to intractable abdominal pain. Pain control is a crucial component of the management plan. Most patients will improve with oral corticosteroids treatment, however, some patients will require a trial of other immunosuppressive agents, and a minority of patients will continue to have refractory disease. Endoscopic ultrasound guided celiac plexus block is used frequently to control abdominal pain in patients with pancreatic pathology. To our knowledge there are no case reports describing its use in mesenteric panniculitis patients with refractory abdominal pain.

Linear endoscopic ultrasound:Current uses and future perspectives in mediastinal examination

This editorial elaborates on the current and future applications of linear endoscopic ultrasound(EUS),a substantial diagnostic and therapeutic modality for various anatomical regions.The scope of endosonographic assessment is broad and,among other factors,allows for the evaluation of the mediastinal anatomy and related pathologies,such as mediastinal lymphadenopathy and the staging of central malignant lung lesions.Moreover,EUS assessment has proven more accurate in detecting small lesions missed by standard imaging examinations,such as computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging.We focus on its current uses in the mediastinum,including lung and esophageal cancer staging,as well as evaluating mediastinal lymphadenopathy and submucosal lesions.The editorial also explores future perspectives of EUS in mediastinal examination,including ultrasound-guided therapies,artificial intelligence integration,advancements in mediastinal modalities,and improved diagnostic approaches for various mediastinal lesions.

Advances in determining abdominal aortic aneurysm size and growth

Abdominal aortic aneurysm is a common pathology in the aging population of the developed world which carries a significant mortality in excess of 80% in case of rupture. Aneurysmal disease probably represents the only surgical condition in which size is such a critical determinant of the need for intervention and therefore the ability to accurately and reproducibly record aneurysm size and growth over time is of outmost importance. In the same time that imaging techniques may be limited by intra- and inter-observer variability and there may be inconsistencies due to different modalities [ultrasound, computed tomography(CT)], rapid technologic advancement have taken aortic imaging to the next level. Digital imaging, multidetector scanners, thin slice CT and most- importantly the ability to perform 3-dimensional reconstruction and image post-processing have currently become widely available rendering most of the imaging modalities used in the past out of date. The aim of the current article is to report on various imaging methods and current state of the art techniques used to record aneurysm size and growth. Moreover we aim to emphasize on the future research directions and report on techniques which probably will be widely used and incorporated in clinical practice in the near future.

Abdominal and gastrointestinal manifestations in COVID-19 patients: Is imaging useful?

Coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)can be considered a systemic disease with a specific tropism for the vascular system,in which the alterations of the microcirculation have an important pathogenetic role.The lungs are the main organ involved in COVID-19,and severe progressive respiratory failure is the leading cause of death in the affected patients;however,many other organs can be involved with variable clinical manifestations.Concerning abdominal manifestations,the gastrointestinal tract and the hepatobiliary system are mainly affected,although the pancreas,urinary tract and spleen may also be involved.The most common gastrointestinal symptoms are loss of appetite,followed by nausea and vomiting,diarrhea and abdominal pain.Gastrointestinal imaging findings include bowel wall thickening,sometimes associated with hyperemia and mesenteric thickening,fluid-filled segments of the large bowel and rarely intestinal pneumatosis and ischemia.Hepatic involvement manifests as an increase in the enzymatic levels of alanine aminotransferase,aspartate aminotransferase,serum bilirubin andγ-glutamyl transferase with clinical manifestations in most cases mild and transient.The most frequent radiological features are hepatic steatosis,biliary sludge and gallstones.Edematous acute pancreatitis,kidney infarct and acute kidney injury from acute tubular necrosis have been described more rarely in COVID-19.Lastly,splenic involvement is characterized by splenomegaly and by the development of solitary or multifocal splenic infarcts with classic wedge shaped or even rounded morphology,with irregular or smooth profiles.In summary,the abdominal radiological findings of COVID-19 are nonspecific and with poor pathological correlation reported in the literature.Ultrasound and particularly computed tomography with multiphasic acquisition are the diagnostic methods mainly utilized in COVID-19 patients with abdominal clinical symptoms and signs.Although radiological signs are not specific of abdominal and gastrointestinal involvement,the diagnostic imaging modalities and in particular computed tomography are helpful for the clinician in the management,evaluation of the severity and evolution of the COVID-19 patients.

Advanced Abdominal Ectopic Pregnancy: A Case Report

A 35-year-old unbooked gravida 6 para 5+0 woman with 4 living children, who was unsure of her last menstrual period but she adjudged her index pregnancy to be term. She presented to the emergency unit with six months history of progressive weight loss, difficulty in breathing and abdominal pain that suddenly got worse about two days prior to presentation after an attempted external cephalic version by a traditional birth attendant. Ultrasound diagnosed abdominal pregnancy. An emergency laparotomy revealed collapsed fetal membranes with a rent of about 10 centimeters in diameter on the right and straw-colored amniotic fluid of about 2 litres in peritoneal cavity. A live male fetus was delivered with birth weight of 2.9 kilograms. The umbilical cord was cut and tied short close to the placenta which was left in situ and methotrexate was given. Post operative condition was satisfactory and patient had a brisk recovery. She was adequately counseled and discharged home on the 12th day after surgery and followed up subsequently.

Role of contrast enhanced ultrasound in detection of abdominal aortic abnormalities in comparison with multislice computed tomography

Conventional ultrasound （US） is the most widely used imaging modality in routine clinical practice worldwide. The limitations of conventional ultrasound in the detection of aortic lesions versus multi-slice computed tomography angiography （MS-CTA） are well known.

Acquired premature ejaculation and male accessory gland infection： relevance of ultrasound examination

We have previously demonstrated a high frequency of premature ejaculation （PE） among patients with male accessory gland infection （MAGI）. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ultrasound （US） features of patients with MAGI and acquired premature ejaculation （APE） associated （MAGI-APEpos）. US evaluation of 50 MAGI-APEpos patients compared to 50 patients with MAGI without PE （MAGI-PEneg） which represent the control group. The diagnosis of APE was made through the evaluation of Intravaginal ejaculation latency time （IELT） and confirmed with the questionnaire PEDT （Premature Ejaculation Diagnostic Tool）. The main outcome measure was represented by the frequency of US criteria suggestive of P （prostatitis）, V （vesiculitis）, and E （epididymitis） in MAGI-APEpos and MAGI-PEneg patients. MAGI-APEpos patients showed a total number of US criteria significantly higher compared to MAGI-PEneg patients. MAGI-APEpos showed a higher frequency of US criteria of V and E （complicated forms of MAGI）. Finally, in MAGI-APEpos group, it was found a positive relationship between the anteroposterior diameter （APD） of the caudal tract of the epididymis and the APD of the seminal vesicles, as well as between both diameters and the PEDT score. MAGI-APEpos patients have a peculiar US characterization compared to MAGI-PEneg patients. According to these results, US evaluation of the epididymal and of the prostato vesicular tract should be considered in the practical clinical approach of patients with MAGI and APE. In particular, it could be a SUDDort for a possible Dathoahysiological interpretation of this clinical problem in these patients.

Contrast-enhanced Ultrasound in Detecting Endoleaks with Failed Computed Tomography Angiography Diagnosis after Endovascular Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm Repair

Background： Endovascular aneurysnl repair （EVAR） is one of the first-line therapies of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Postoperative endoleak is the most common complication of EVAR. Computed tomography angiography （CTA）, which is routine for follow-up, has side effects （e.g., radiation） and also has a certain percentage of missed diagnosis. Preliminary studies on contrast-enhanced ultrasound （CEUS） have shown that the sensitivity of CEUS for detecting endoleak is no lower than that of CTA. To investigate the advantages of CEUS, we conducted CEUS examinations of post-EVAR cases in which CTA failed to detect endoleak or could not verify the type of endoleak. Methods： Post-EVAR patients, who were clinically considered to have endoleak and met the inclusion criteria were enrolled between March 2013 and November 2014. All of the patients underwent color Doppler flow imaging （CDFI） and a CEUS examination. Size, location, microbubble dispersion, and hemodynamic characteristics of leaks were recorded. Comparison between the diagnosis of CEUS and CDF1 was conducted using Fisher＇s exact test and clinical outcomes of all patients were followed up. Results： Sixteen patients were enrolled, and 12 （75%） had endoleaks with verified types by CEUS. Among 12 cases of endoleaks were positive by CEUS, 10 were CDFl-positive, and the four CEUS-negative cases were all negative by CDFI. The diagnostic values of CEUS and CDFI were statistically difl＇erent （P = 0,008）. Six patients with high-pressure endoleaks received endovascular re-intervention guided by CEUS results. One patient with type Ⅲ endoleak had open surgery when endovascular repair failed. Conclusions： C EUS is a new, safe, and effective means for detection ofendoleaks post-EVAR. This technique can be used as a supplement for routine CTA follow-up to provide more detailed information on endoleak and its category.