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.

Disappointing resuts for pimecrolimus, investigational anti-restenosis drug

A new medication that researchers had hoped would reduce the risk of arterial renarrowing after stenting has turned in a disappointing performance in a multicenter clinical trial, but the multi-reservoir stent that was used to deliver the drug is still considered promising.

1 Apr 2008

Study shows Actos prevented progression of atherosclerotic plaque volume in patients

New data from a clinical trial using intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) technology found that in patients living with type 2 diabetes, ACTOS (pioglitazone HCl) reduced the atherosclerotic burden in the coronary arteries compared to glimepiride, and prevented progression compared to baseline.

1 Apr 2008

Matrix registry probes adherence to clopidogrel at 1 year

A large community-based registry of patients treated with drug-eluting stents is providing important insight into how long patients with complex coronary artery disease typically stick to their doctors' orders to take clopidogrel, a drug that prevents unwanted blood clots; why they stop taking the drug; and the long-term consequences of that decision.

1 Apr 2008

Hispanics with clogged arteries at greatest risk of stroke, heart attack

Hispanics who have even a small amount of plaque build-up in the neck artery that supplies blood to the brain are up to four times more likely to suffer or die from a stroke or heart attack than Hispanics who do not have plaque, according to a study published in the March 19, 2008, online issue of Neurology, the medical journal of the American Academy of Neurology.

20 Mar 2008

Uterine fibroid embolization effective in cases where focused ultrasound failed

Uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), a minimally invasive interventional radiology treatment for uterine fibroids, provides significant relief of symptoms for women whose focused ultrasound (FUS) treatment failed, according to a study released during the Society of Interventional Radiology's 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting in Washington, D.C. Primary care physicians and gynecologists can feel confident in informing patients that a failed FUS treatment does not require subsequent gynecological surgery.

19 Mar 2008

Most women unaware of uterine fibroid embolization

A study presented at the Society of Interventional Radiology's 33rd Annual Scientific Meeting shows of 105 patients in the Atlanta metro area, only 18 percent of the women who saw a private practice gynecologist were told about uterine fibroid embolization (UFE), a minimally invasive treatment for uterine fibroids provided by interventional radiologists.

19 Mar 2008

Trial of injectable microfoam for varicose veins

A small group of patients with a common heart defect who were treated for varicose veins with an injectable microfoam experienced no neurological, visual or cardiac changes as a result of the treatment, according to preliminary results from a phase II trial.

18 Mar 2008

Routinely used diagnostic approaches: only limited diagnostic sensitivity for bile duct cancer?

Surgery is the only curative treatment in patients with bile duct cancer.

14 Mar 2008

New radiology center puts research scanners in hospital

Whether it's needed to track the activity of a drug, the growth of a tumor, or the progress of a medical disorder, high-tech imaging equipment often is an essential component of advanced clinical research.

28 Feb 2008

Female-to-male transsexuals have higher androgen levels, not polycystic ovary syndrome

Contrary to previous studies, female-to-male transsexuals do not have a higher prevalence of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), though they do have significantly higher androgen levels, according to a new study accepted for publication in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (JCEM).

21 Feb 2008

Endoscopic ultrasound-guided therapy safe for severe gastrointestinal bleeding patients

A new Mayo Clinic study found that endoscopic ultrasound-guided therapy appears to be a safe and effective treatment for patients with severe gastrointestinal bleeding for whom conventional therapies have failed.

21 Feb 2008

New techniques for detecting blood clots/air bubbles in arteries

New techniques for detecting emboli (harmful blood clots/air bubbles in arteries) developed at the University of Leicester have played a major role in dramatically reducing stroke rates after carotid endarterectomy.

20 Feb 2008

Complex fibroadenomas patients can avoid surgery

Complex fibroadenomas have a low incidence of malignancy, so women with this condition can be more conservatively treated and avoid surgical biopsy, according to a new study by a team of researchers from the Hadassah-Hebrew University Medical Center in Jerusalem.

12 Feb 2008

Two new studies examine non-invasive ways to determine liver fibrosis and cirrhosis

An enhanced version of the Original European Liver Fibrosis panel was found to have good diagnostic accuracy for fibrosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Conversely, transient elastography was unreliable for detecting cirrhosis in patients with acute liver damage. The studies are published in the February issue of Hepatology, a journal by John Wiley & Sons on behalf of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD). The articles are also available online at Wiley Interscience.

5 Feb 2008

Stem cell treatment for babies with brittle bones in the womb

The extraordinary results of an in utero stem cell treatment could lead to a new treatment for babies with brittle bones, as well as a range of other disabling conditions, according to a maternal-fetal medicine researcher, now based at The University of Queensland (UQ).

31 Jan 2008

Study confirms safety of BrachySil for treatment of inoperable pancreatic cancer

The results of a Phase IIa clinical trial of BrachySil for the treatment of advanced, inoperable pancreatic cancer were presented at American Society of Clinical Oncolgy-GI (ASCO-GI) this weekend in a poster presented by Dr. Paul Ross, Chief Investigator in the study and Consultant Medical Oncologist at Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust.

30 Jan 2008

Military radar could help stroke patients

University of Leicester researchers are pioneering use of military radar signal processing methods to help victims of stroke - the third most common cause of death in the UK.

21 Jan 2008

Comprehensive assessment of long-term effects of reducing intake of energy

Overweight people who lose a moderate amount of weight get an immediate benefit in the form of better heart health, according to a study conducted at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis.

11 Jan 2008

Scientists study meta-material and sound waves to improve medical scans

Mathematicians at the University of Liverpool have found that it is possible to gain full control of sound waves which could lead to improved medical scans, for technology such as ultra sound machines

8 Jan 2008

High-energy ultrasound imaging produces clearer pictures of liver tumors

A high-energy form of ultrasound imaging developed by researchers at Duke University's Pratt School of Engineering produces pictures of liver tumors that are better than those made with traditional ultrasound, according to results of a clinical study.

From Siemens Healthineers 8 Jan 2008