Three-dimensional ultrasound improves identification of patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms reaching the threshold for repair

Development of a Predictive Model Based on Ultrasonographic Characteristics to Distinguish Neonatal Adrenal Cystic Neuroblastoma From Hematoma

PURPOSE

This study aimed to develop a predictive model based on ultrasonographic characteristics to improve the diagnostic accuracy in differentiating cystic neuroblastoma from hematoma.

METHODS

This retrospective study included newborns who had undergone their first ultrasonography from 2013 to 2023. In total, 39 267 newborns, including those with hematoma and suspected cystic neuroblastoma, were included. Ultrasonographic characteristics of newborns with hematoma and suspected cystic neuroblastoma were compared, and data analysis was performed using a binary logistic regression model.

RESULTS

Anterior-posterior size, vertical size, presence of calcification, and cystic fluid echogenicity were identified as significant predictive factors for distinguishing between cystic neuroblastoma and hematoma. The area under the curve of the model was 0.962, indicating a high diagnostic efficacy.

CONCLUSION

The predictive model constructed based on ultrasonographic characteristics effectively differentiated between cystic neuroblastoma and hematoma, providing a highly efficient diagnostic tool for clinical use. To further validate and optimize this predictive model, future research should expand the sample size and include multicenter data.

Advanced ultrasound techniques in arterial diseases

Ultrasound (US) remains a valuable modality for the assessment of vascular diseases, with conventional sonographic techniques such as grayscale and Doppler US used extensively to assess carotid atherosclerosis and abdominal aortic aneurysms. However, conventional US techniques are inherently limited by factors such as operator dependency and limited field of view. There is an increasing interest in the use of advanced sonographic techniques such as contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) and 3-dimensional (3D) US to mitigate some of these limitations. Clinical applications of advanced sonographic techniques include surveillance of abdominal aortic aneurysm, post-endovascular aortic repair, and carotid atherosclerotic plaques. Recently published studies have demonstrated that CEUS and 3D US are superior to conventional US and comparable to computed tomography for certain vascular applications. Further research is required to fully validate the application of advanced sonographic techniques in evaluating various atherosclerotic diseases.