Catherine Cole-Beuglet

The sonographic diagnosis of focal and diffuse infiltrating intrascrotal lesions

Thirty-six examples of inflammatory and neoplastic disease of the scrotum were evaluated with ultrasound. Analysis of the images suggests that sonographic differentiation of these conditions is possible in certain instances. The ability to separate testicular from extratesticular pathology is quite accurate. In some cases, neoplastic disease of the testis can be differentiated from malignancy, although surgical intervention is often required for diagnosis.

Ultrasonographic findings in placenta increta.

Placenta increta, invasion of the myometrium by normal placental (chorionic) villi, can be life‐threatening to a mother at delivery. In two reported cases of pathologically proven placenta increta, the abnormal areas were retrospectively identified on ultrasonographic images. In both cases, there was consistent focal obliteration of the hypoechoic retroplacental zone by either tissue of echogenicity similar to that of the normal placenta or tissue of slightly decreased echogenicity. This was found to represent extension of the villi through the decidua basalis into the myometrium. The spectrum of non‐malignant invasive placentas and the specific ultrasonographic findings that should allow prospective diagnosis are discussed.

Ultrasonic Mammography Parenchymal Patterns: A Preliminary Report1

Ultrasound has been suggested as a lower risk alternative to mammography for detecting breast abnormalities. Mammograms and ultrasonograms of 32 women patients were compared, revealing three distinct ultrasonic parenchymal patterns which corresponded to previously reported mammographic patterns: fatty (N1), ductal (P1 or P2), and dysplastic (DY). These constitute a new system of parenchymal classification, to our knowledge.

Ultrasound mammography for male breast enlargement.

Fourteen men referred for ultrasound evaluation of breast enlargement had ultrasound mammography using water path techniques. Gynecomastia, both the localized type and the diffuse type, could be differentiated from the normal soft tissues of the chest wall on the B‐scans. Among nine cases of men who underwent excision, there were six cases of gynecomastia, two lipomas, and one biopsy revealed normal subcutaneous tissue. The ultrasound B‐scan images are correlated with the histologic findings in these nine cases. Ultrasound mammography using water path techniques is a useful imaging examination for male breast enlargement.

Total uterine volume: a new graph and its clinical applications.

The prolate ellipse formula has been shown to be inaccurate and inconsistent in the calculation of total uterine volume. The stepped area‐to‐volume technique has proven to be both accurate and consistent and provides a value equal to the true uterine volume. When these true volumes were plotted on previously published graphs of total uterine volume derived from the prolate ellipse formula, the graphs were found to be inaccurate. New graphs based on normal values have been constructed, comparing total uterine volume with both biparietal diameter and average gestational age. When 26 abnormal values were plotted on the total uterine volume versus biparietal diameter graph, almost all fell outside the 90 per cent confidence limits. Seven of the abnormal value were from fetuses found to have growth retardation. Six of these cases, including two not appreciated either clinically or ultrasonographically, were detected by this method. The stepped area‐to‐volume technique should allow reconsideration of the total uterine volume concept and aid in the detection of the subtle changes in uterine size.