Echographic features of brain structures in children born with very low and extremely low body weight, in comparison with the clinical picture

Immature brain structures of very premature infants determine the features of the echographic picture at birth, as well as in the neoand postneonatal period. The article presents an analysis of the results of ultrasound studies of the brain (from birth to 18 months of corrected age) in comparison with the clinical and laboratory data of 489 very premature infants born with very low and extremely low body weight. The comparison of neurosonographic data and the results of clinical examination indicate that the echographic picture of the brain structures of very premature infants may differ from that of the mature infants and it does not require medical correction in the absence of neurological manifestations. The most characteristic echographic features in the first years of life are moderate dilatation of the intrathecal spaces, lateral ventricles and cisterns of the brain. Intraventricular hemorrhages in deeply premature infants occur with a high frequency, while degree III intraventricular hemorrhages, as well as periventricular and diffuse leukomalacia, are prognostically unfavorable factors leading to the development of severe neurological defects.

Gridlines approach for dynamic analysis in speech ultrasound data: A multimodal app

Having access to efficient technologies is essential for the accurate description and analysis of articulatory speech patterns. In the area of tongue ultrasound studies, the visualization/analysis processes generally require a solid knowledge of programming languages as well as a deep understanding of articulatory phenomena. This demands the use of a variety of programs for an efficient use of the data collected. In this paper we introduce a multimodal app for visualizing and analyzing tongue contours: UVA—Ultrasound Visualization and Analysis. This app combines the computational power of R and the interactivity of Shiny web apps to allow users to manipulate and explore tongue ultrasound data using cutting-edge methods. One of the greatest strengths of the app is that it has the capability of being modified to adapt to users’ needs. This has potential as an innovative tool for diverse academic and industry audiences.

Features of the pathogenesis and treatment of dishormonal breast dysplasia in women of early reproductive age

The objective: was to determine the effectiveness of the use of complex therapy in the treatment of diffuse forms of dishormonal breast dysplasia (DВD) in women of early reproductive age.Materials and methods. Under observation were 42 women with a diffuse form of BPH at the age of 25–31 years. The control group consisted of 20 healthy non-pregnant women, parity in age, social status and living conditions. The diagnosis of DВD was established on the basis of the analysis of anamnestic data, patient complaints, clinical data, X-ray and ultrasound studies carried out on the 5–7 day of the menstrual cycle.Results. In 35 (83.3%) patients, DВD developed against the background of a normal biphasic menstrual cycle, in 7 (16.7%) – with an inferior luteal phase. During an instrumental examination, 23 (54.8%) of the women were diagnosed with fibrocystic form of DВD, 15 (35.7%) had adenofibromatosis, and 4 (9.5%) had glandular cystic mastopathy.The use of Enat 400, phytochemical oncoprotectors, venotonics and sedatives provides, in the vast majority (95.2%) of patients of early reproductive age, high clinical efficacy in the treatment of DВD. According to instrumental methods of breast imaging, the regression of DВD occurred in 38 (90.5%) of young patients.Conclusions. In the treatment of DВD in patients of early reproductive age, Enat 400 in combination with other drugs, due to the antioxidant, antiproliferative, pro-apoptotic, antitumor activity of the therapy, have established themselves as effective and safe agents.

EULAR recommendations for the reporting of ultrasound studies in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs)

ObjectiveTo produce European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) recommendations for the reporting of ultrasound studies in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs).MethodsBased on the literature reviews and expert opinion (through Delphi surveys), a taskforce of 23 members (12 experts in ultrasound in RMDs, 9 in methodology and biostatistics together with a patient research partner and a health professional in rheumatology) developed a checklist of items to be reported in every RMD study using ultrasound. This checklist was further refined by involving a panel of 79 external experts (musculoskeletal imaging experts, methodologists, journal editors), who evaluated its comprehensibility, feasibility and comprehensiveness. Agreement on each proposed item was assessed with an 11-point Likert scale, grading from 0 (total disagreement) to 10 (full agreement).ResultsTwo face-to-face meetings, as well as two Delphi rounds of voting, resulted in a final checklist of 23 items, including a glossary of terminology. Twenty-one of these were considered ‘mandatory’ items to be reported in every study (such as blinding, development of scoring systems, definition of target pathologies) and 2 ‘optional’ to be reported only if applicable, such as possible confounding factors (ie, ambient conditions) or experience of the sonographers.ConclusionAn EULAR taskforce developed a checklist to ensure transparent and comprehensive reporting of aspects concerning research and procedures that need to be presented in studies using ultrasound in RMDs. This checklist, if widely adopted by authors and editors, will greatly improve the interpretability of study development and results, including the assessment of validity, generalisability and applicability.