• Imaging Science in Dentistry
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• v.49 no.3
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• pp.201-208
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• 2019

Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the characteristic features of oral and maxillofacial swellings that could be seen on ultrasonographic examinations. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with oral and/or maxillofacial swellings were randomly selected, thorough case histories and clinical examinations were done, ultrasonographic examinations with Doppler imaging were performed, and the features of every group were studied. Finally, histopathological evaluations were performed to identify the final diagnosis, according to which patients were classified into 5 groups; group I: inflammatory/space infection and abscess swellings, group II: cystic swellings, group III: lymph node swellings, group IV: benign swellings, and group V: malignant neoplastic swellings. Results: A significant association (P<0.05), with a contingency coefficient of 0.88, was found between the histopathological and ultrasonographic diagnoses, with ultrasonography having a diagnostic accuracy of 89% in diagnosing maxillofacial swellings. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography was 100% for lymph node and malignant swellings, followed by 98% for inflammatory and cystic swellings and 92% for benign swellings. The sensitivity of the ultrasonographic diagnosis was 100% for cystic, lymph node, and malignant swellings, followed by 91% for inflammatory swellings and 86% for benign swellings. Conclusion: Ultrasonographic features with Doppler imaging greatly aid in obtaining accurate diagnoses of oral and maxillofacial swellings. Ultrasonography is a recommended imaging tool for differentiating maxillofacial swellings and classifying them accurately.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.302-307
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• 2018

This report describes the unusual ultrasonography features of chronic hypertrophic pyloric gastropathy in two dogs - a 12-year-old neutered male Pekingese (case 1) and an 11-year-old spayed female Shih Tzu (case 2) - with chronic vomiting and weight loss. Chronic hypertrophic pyloric gastropathy can be observed as the focal thickening of the pyloric wall with normal layers on ultrasonography images. However, in case 1, gastric neoplasia could not be ruled out because of the presence of regional lymph node enlargement; in case 2, an intussusception was tentatively diagnosed because of a mass within the pylorus, which appeared to be connected to the descending duodenum on the longitudinal image. In both cases, focally thickened pyloric walls were demonstrated through exploratory laparotomy, and the histopathological diagnosis of chronic hypertrophic pyloric gastropathy was made. Ultrasonography is useful for imaging the gastrointestinal tract, and the typical ultrasonographic features of chronic hypertrophic pyloric gastropathy have been reported. However, the possibility, that chronic hypertrophic pyloric gastropathy can present unusual ultrasonographic findings similar to those of tumors or intussusception, should also be considered.

• The Journal of Korean Orthopaedic Ultrasound Society
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• v.1 no.1
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• pp.64-72
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• 2008

Compression neuropathy around elbow and wrist are one of the common disturbing problems in the upper extremity. The understanding of normal nerve architectures and pathophysiologic changes in compression neuropathy is important to interpret the ultrasonographic images correctly. Compression neuropathies have characteristic ultrasonographic imaging features of flattened nerve at compression and hypoechoic swollen nerve with loss of fascicular patterns at proximal segments. Dynamic ultrasonographic imagings on motion can show dymanic subluxation of ulnar nerve and medial head of triceps muscle over the medial epicondyle in snapping triceps syndrome. Dynamic compression of median nerve also can be visualized in pronator teres syndrome by dynamic imaging studies. A quantitative measures of cross sectional area or compression ratio can be helpful to diagnose compression neuropathies, such as carpal tunnel syndrome or cubital tunnel syndrome. With the clinical features and electeophysiologic studies, the untrasonographic imagings are useful tool for evaluation of the compression neuropathies in the upper extremities.

• Journal of Korea Multimedia Society
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• v.11 no.9
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• pp.1296-1301
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• 2008

Ultrasonography constructs pictures of areas inside the body needs in diagnosis by bouncing high-enorgy sound waves(ultrasound) off internal tissues or organs. In constructing an ultrasonographic image, the weakness of bounding signals induces noises and detailed differences of brightness, so that having a difficulty in detecting and diagnosing with the naked eyes in the analysis of ultrasonogram. Especially, the difficulty is extended when diagnosing muscle areas by using ultrasonographic images in the musculoskeletal test. In this paper, we propose a novel image processing method that computationally extracts a muscle area from an ultrasonographic image to assist in diagnosis. An ultrasonographic image consists of areas corresponding to various tissues and internal organs. The proposed method, based on features of intensity distribution, morphology and size of each area, extracts areas of the fascia, the subcutaneous fat and other internal organs, and then extracts a muscle area enclosed by areas of the fascia. In the extraction of areas of the fascia, a series of image processing methods such as histogram stretching, multiple operation, binarization and area connection by labeling is applied. A muscle area is extracted by using features on relative position and morphology of areas for the fascia and muscle areas. The performance evaluation using real ultrasonographic images and specialists' analysis show that the proposed method is able to extract target areas being approximate to real muscle areas.

• 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.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Veterinary Clinics Conference
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• 2009.10a
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• pp.242-242
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• 2009

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.225-228
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• 2019

Inflammatory bowel disease and alimentary lymphoma are common gastrointestinal disorder in cats. More recently, ultrasonographic features associated with feline alimentary lymphoma has been recognized as a diffuse thickening of muscular layer of small intestine. We investigated correlation between thickening of muscular layer of small intestine and such disease. We found a significantly increased thickness of the muscular layer of small intestine in cats with lymphoma or IBD compared with healthy cats. When a muscularis to submucosa ratio > 1 and regional lymphadenopathy were found during ultrasonography on cats with gastrointestinal signs, full-thickness biopsy could be recommended to make sure presence confirmation of inflammatory bowel disease or alimentary lymphoma.

• The Korean Journal of Pain
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.217-228
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• 2016

The musculoskeletal system is mainly composed of the bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments, in addition to nerves and blood vessels. The greatest difficulty in an ultrasonographic freeze-frame created by the examiner is recognition of the targeted structures without indicators, since an elephant's trunk may not be easily distinguished from its leg. It is not difficult to find descriptive ultrasonographic terms used for educational purposes, which help in distinguishing features of these structures either in a normal or abnormal anatomic condition. However, the terms sometimes create confusion when describing common objects, for example, in Western countries, pears have a triangular shape, but in Asia they are round. Skilled experts in musculoskeletal ultrasound have tried to express certain distinguishing features of anatomic landmarks using terms taken from everyday objects which may be reminiscent of that particular feature. This pictorial review introduces known signature patterns of distinguishing features in musculoskeletal ultrasound in a normal or abnormal condition, and may stir the beginners' interest to play a treasure-hunt game among unfamiliar images within a boundless ocean.

• Journal of Yeungnam Medical Science
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.224-230
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• 2004

Background: To determine the various sonographic findings in a papillary carcinoma of the thyroid. Materials and Methods: 48 patients with a proven papillary carcinoma of the thyroid were involved. The sonographic features analyzed were the size, shape, content, margin, internal echo, and calcification pattern. Results: Common sonographic features of a papillary carcinoma include the hypoechoic texture (94%), an ill defined margin (81%), a solid nodule (100%), irregular shape (48%), and microcalcifications (35%), or no calcifications (42%). The uncommon features included a hyperechoic or mixed echo texture, cystic elements, a well defined margin, and a coarse or peripheral calcifications. Conclusion: Ill-defined hypoechoic solid nodule with microcalcification is a characteristic ultrasonographic finding of a thyroid papillary carcinoma.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.82 no.2
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• pp.382-392
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• 2021

Purpose To evaluate the ultrasonographic characteristics of steatocystomas focusing on the features that aid in differentiating them from epidermal inclusion cysts and lipomas. Materials and Methods The ultrasonographic findings of 14 histologically proven steatocystomas in 10 patients were retrospectively reviewed. The following features were assessed: the layer of involvement, shape, margin, echogenicity, posterior acoustic features, and the presence of a visible wall or intralesional striations. The findings were compared with those of subcutaneous lipomas and epidermal inclusion cysts to identify those findings that aid in the differential diagnosis of steatocystomas. Results The majority of steatocystomas appeared as a subcutaneous mass (n = 6, 42.9%) or a mass involving both the dermal and subcutaneous layers (n = 6, 42.9%). Steatocystomas exhibited a well-defined smooth margin (n = 12, 85.7%) and homogeneous echogenicity (n = 9, 64.3%), and showed no specific posterior acoustic features (n = 9, 64.3%). The most important features that differentiated steatocystomas from epidermal inclusion cysts were a homogeneous internal echotexture (p = 0.009) and absent or less prominent posterior acoustic enhancement (p < 0.001). The features that distinguished steatocystomas from lipomas were the margin (p < 0.001), echogenicity (p = 0.034), internal echotexture (p = 0.004), and the absence of intralesional striations (p < 0.001). Conclusion Steatocystomas appeared as well-defined homogeneous masses with mild or absent posterior acoustic enhancement.