Sonographic evaluation of knee cartilage defects implanted with preconditioned scaffolds

Renal sonographic changes in heterogeneity index and echogenicity in children with hypertension: a novel assessment

The kidneys are thought to contribute to the pathogenesis of primary hypertension, but hypertension is also known to cause target organ damage in the kidney. Noninvasive methods to capture possible changes in the kidney related to hypertension are limited. A new program that has been used to quantify the heterogeneity and percent echogenicity in renal ultrasound images was implemented to assess patients with hypertension. Children and adolescents <21 years with primary hypertension diagnosed by ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were compared with normotensive age- and sex-matched controls. Renal ultrasound images were evaluated by a technique that measured pixels of gray-scale images and transformed them into a binary map, which was converted to a heterogeneity index (HI) and percent echogenicity score. This study included 99 children with hypertension and 99 control subjects. Body mass index (BMI) was greater in the hypertension group. Average HI for hypertension was significantly higher than in controls (1.37 ± 0.19 vs. 1.2 ± 0.23, P = .001), while echogenicity scores were not different (26.6 ± 8.9 vs. 25.9 ± 10, P = .8). In regression analysis adjusting for BMI z-score and race, hypertension was associated with greater HI compared with controls (β = 0.11, 95% confidence interval 0.03-0.18, P = .005). In a model adjusted for age, sex, and BMI z-score in the hypertension group only, no ambulatory blood pressure monitoring measures were associated with HI or echogenicity scores (P > .05).HI was significantly greater in the hypertension group compared with normotensive controls. HI may be a novel method to detect changes in the kidney related to hypertension.

Quantitative Ultrasound Texture Analysis for Differentiating Preterm From Term Fetal Lungs

OBJECTIVES

To differentiate preterm (<37 weeks' gestation) from term (≥37 weeks' gestation) fetal lungs by using quantitative texture analysis of ultrasound images.

METHODS

This study retrospectively evaluated singleton gestations with valid dating at 20 weeks' gestational age (GA) or later between January 2015 and December 2015. Images were obtained from Voluson E8 ultrasound systems (GE Healthcare, Milwaukee, WI). A region of interest was selected in each fetal lung image at the level of the 4 heart chambers from an area that appeared most representative of the overall lung tissue and had the least shadow. Ultrasonic tissue heterogeneity (heterogeneity index) based on dynamic range calculation was determined for all lung images. This quantification was performed with a custom-made software program that used a dithering technique based on the Floyd-Steinberg algorithm, in which the pixels are transformed into a binary map. Regression analysis was used to determine the correlation and functional association between the heterogeneity index and GA. A receiver operating characteristic curve was used to identify the optimal heterogeneity index cutoff point for differentiating preterm from term fetal lungs.

RESULTS

A total of 425 fetal lung ultrasound images (313 preterm and 112 term) were analyzed. Quantitative texture analysis predicted GA with sensitivity and specificity of 87.9% and 92.0%, respectively, based on the optimal receiver operating characteristic cutoff point.

CONCLUSIONS

Quantitative ultrasound texture analysis of fetal lung tissue can differentiate preterm fetal lungs from term fetal lungs. Our data suggest that decreased fetal lung heterogeneity on ultrasound imaging is associated with preterm fetuses.