Ultrasound News and Research

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Ultrasound is a procedure in which high-energy sound waves are bounced off internal tissues or organs and make echoes. The echo patterns are shown on the screen of an ultrasound machine, forming a picture of body tissues called a sonogram. Also called ultrasonography.

Percutaneous core-needle biopsy, provides samples of tissue suitable for accurate initial diagnosis of a solid tumor

Inserting biopsy needles through the skin appears to be a safe and reliable alternative to surgery for obtaining diagnostic samples of a suspected solid tumor in children, according to results of a study by investigators at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital.

25 Jul 2005

Catchers' mitts do not adequately protect players' hands from injury

"We found signs of early blood vessel damage that could lead to significant symptoms and could end a player's career," said T. Adam Ginn, M.D., chief resident in orthopaedics at Wake Forest Baptist, and one of the study's researchers. "The gloves' current design does not protect the hand from trauma."

6 Jul 2005

Research discovers new deadly link to sickle cell disease

A new study led by a researcher at Children's Hospital & Research Center at Oakland is the first to find that an amino acid deficiency in sickle cell disease is the result of hemolysis, a process where red blood cells rupture and release their contents into the blood stream. Low availability of the amino acid arginine is associated with lung disease and death in adult sickle cell patients.

6 Jul 2005

Changes to prenatal genetic testing could mean more babies born with abnornalities

A study in the UK suggests that a proposed change to the type of prenatal genetic testing offered to couples in the UK, could possibly result in certain chromosome abnormalities being missed.

4 Jul 2005

Birth abnormality rates could increase if proposed changes to prenatal testing go ahead

A proposed change to the type of prenatal genetic testing offered to couples in the UK could result in certain chromosome abnormalities being missed, suggests a study published online today (Thursday June 30, 2005) by The Lancet.

1 Jul 2005

British doctors debate abortion laws

In Britain doctors at the British Medical Association (BMA) conference in Manchester, are debating whether the legal time limit for abortion should be reduced from 24 to 20 weeks.

30 Jun 2005

Harmonic scalpel could reduce operative time and blood loss in patients

A harmonic scalpel that uses ultrasound to coagulate as it cuts can reduce blood loss and postoperative facial paralysis in patients who need a portion of their salivary gland removed, surgeons say.

27 Jun 2005

Determining prognosis in patients with chest pain now easier and more accurate

A new, more precise test is available to improve the accuracy of detecting coronary artery disease and risk of heart attack, and can be done right at the bedside.

22 Jun 2005

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is an effective, longlasting treatment for small kidney tumors in selected patients

Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) researchers have shown that radiofrequency ablation (RFA) - a minimally invasive way of destroying tissue - is an effective, longlasting treatment for small kidney tumors in selected patients.

20 Jun 2005

Doppler imaging provides better understanding of muscular dystrophy

A new study presented this week at the American Society of Echocardiography's 16th Annual Scientific Sessions offers new hope to children stricken with Duchene muscular dystrophy (DMD), a degenerative muscular disease characterized by a loss of voluntary muscle control which can eventually affect the heart.

14 Jun 2005

Simple scan of your finger could save your life

Unlikely on the face of it, perhaps, but a consortium including Cranfield Impact Centre and Nissan Technical Centre Europe, has developed a prototype bone density scanning system which could be used to improve driver and passenger restraint systems in cars.

13 Jun 2005

Adults with diabetes at higher risk for cardiovascular problems due air pollution

Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health and colleagues assessed the effect of high air pollution levels, specifically emissions from coal-burning power plants and diesel vehicles, on Boston-area adults with diabetes.

8 Jun 2005

Diabetics more sensitive to cardiovascular effects from air pollution

People with diabetes may be at higher risk for cardiovascular problems when air pollution levels are higher, according to a new study of Boston-area residents. The ability of the blood vessels to control blood flow was impaired in adults with diabetes on days with elevated levels of particles from traffic and coal-burning power plants.

31 May 2005

Fluorescence device to diagnose atherosclerosis and tumors

In a presentation at the Conference on Lasers and Electro-Optics (CLEO), researchers from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center's Biophotonics Research and Technology Development Laboratory described recent progress on a device that stimulates, collects and measures light emissions from body tissues to diagnose critical atherosclerotic plaques (vulnerable plaques) and aggressive brain tumors.

29 May 2005

Minimally invasive procedure to treat varicose veins results in less swelling, bruising and minimal pain

The return of warm summer months can be a dreadful time for women who are embarrassed to wear shorts or short skirts due to unsightly, twisted and swollen varicose veins.

23 May 2005

Drug used to treat enlarged prostate may improve the accuracy of prostate biopsies

The drug, dutasteride, suppresses blood flow in benign tissue of the prostate, allowing radiologists to better target cancer tissue using Doppler ultrasound, said Elizabeth Ives, MD, a research fellow at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia and lead author of the study.

20 May 2005

Ultrasound-guided percutaneous biopsies are a safe and effective alternative to endoscopic biopsies

In most cases (61%) a diagnosis was possible after two passes with the biopsy needle. There were no major complications. In 14 of the patients, malignancy was diagnosed; eight patients had benign results.

20 May 2005

Testosterone appears to benefit, not harm, cardiovascular health of middle-aged men

Although men suffer more coronary heart disease than women, the blame should not be placed on testosterone, according to a new study in the May 17, 2005, issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology.

18 May 2005

Patients with suspicious axillary lymph nodes in their breasts should first undergo ultrasound-guided fine-needle aspiration to avoid unnecessary surgery

Currently, breast cancer patients undergo axillary lymph node dissection for accurate staging and control of the cancer. In many cases, this major procedure can be replaced by sentinel lymph node biopsy, which is a more simple and less invasive surgical procedure, but many still have to undergo axillary dissection after the sentinel lymph node biopsy.

17 May 2005

"Streaming detection" ultrasound could reduce number of diagnostic procedures for breast lumps

"Streaming detection" ultrasound accurately differentiated fluid-filled cysts from solid masses in a recent pilot study and has the potential to reduce the number of cyst aspirations and imaging follow-ups for breast masses that are indeterminate at conventional ultrasound, say researchers from Duke University Medical Center in Durham, NC.