Ultrasound

Ultrasound, also referred to as sonography or diagnostic ultrasound, uses high-frequency sound waves to visualize soft tissue. Ultrasounds are frequently ordered to measure fetal anatomy during pregnancy, check for blood clots and to guide needle biopsy procedures of the breast, abdomen and pelvis. The imaging modality does not use any radiation to create images. Find news specific to cardiac ultrasound (echocardiography).

Example of ultrasound-assisted laser arterial plaque removal, which might be developed into a new type of less traumatic atherectomy system.Image courtesy of Rohit Singh.

New atherosclerosis treatment uses ultrasound-assisted lasers to break down plaque

The new technique is still in the development stage, but early research suggests it could provide clinicians with a new treatment option for breaking down arterial plaque. 

Cross-sectional imaging ordered downstream for just 15% of emergency POCUS patients

Using point-of-care ultrasound in emergency settings does not lead to overutilization of follow-up imaging with cross-sectional CT, MRI or additional ultrasounds. 

Foot ultrasound bested foot MRI on pooled sensitivity while lagging on specificity

MRI beats ultrasound at grading common foot injury, but tables turn for up-or-down diagnostics

Injuries of the plantar plate—the cluster of ligaments underneath the four smaller “knuckles” of the toes—are better assessed with MRI than with ultrasound scans. 

The GE healthcare vScan Air was one of several point of care ultrasound (POCUS) systems on display at the ACC 2022 meeting.

VIDEO: Point-of-care ultrasound systems at ACC 2022

There were several point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) systems on display by vendors at ACC 2022. Here are two of them. 

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FDA greenlights portable, wearable 3D breast POCUS

The patient wears the device while the machine essentially operates itself.

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Major teaching hospital finds half its on-call abdominal ultrasounds call utilization into question

The investigators encourage radiologists to consider the numbers and take steps to “reinforce their gatekeeper function” to help cut ultrasound overutilization.

neck ultrasound thyroid

Deep learning and rads comprise an ‘efficient pipeline’ for detecting, classifying thyroid nodules

Competing to classify thyroid nodules on ultrasound images as either malignant or benign, three deep learning models have essentially drawn a tie with four radiologists.

neck ultrasound thyroid

DL networks augment radiologist performance for thyroid cancer detection

After being presented with more than 15,000 images, each DL network yielded results comparable to that of four seasoned radiologists, authors of a new EJR study said.