Ligang Cui

Shear wave elastographic characterization of normal and torn achilles tendons: a pilot study.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using quantitative shear wave elastography for assessing the functional integrity of the Achilles tendon and to summarize the changes in elasticity of ruptured Achilles tendons in comparison with normal controls.

Self-Assembly of an Amphiphilic Janus Camptothecin–Floxuridine Conjugate into Liposome-Like Nanocapsules for More Efficacious Combination Chemotherapy in Cancer

The combination of camptothecin (CPT) and fluoropyrimidine derivatives acts synergistically at a 1:1 molar ratio. Practically, the greatest challenge is the development of a single liposomal formulation that can both encapsulate and maintain this drug combination at an exact 1:1 ratio to achieve coordinated pharmacokinetics. Consequently, a new type of liposome-like nanocapsule (NC) is developed from a highly symmetric Janus camptothecin-floxuridine conjugate (JCFC) amphiphile, which is synthesized by coupling two hydrophobic CPT molecules and two hydrophilic floxuridine (FUDR) molecules to multivalent pentaerythritol via a hydrolyzable ester linkage. JCFC NCs possess remarkably high drug-loading contents, and no premature release because of the highly stable co-delivery of the drug combination without the need for any carrier. It is shown that JCFC NCs consistently provide synergy and avoid antagonism in a broad panel of tumor cell lines. In vivo delivery of JCFC NCs leads to longer blood retention half-life, higher tumorous accumulation and cellular uptake of drugs, and greatly enhanced efficacy in murine tumor models compared to CPT, FUDR, and CPT + FUDR. This liposomal strategy can be extended to other hydrophilic and hydrophobic anticancer drugs that are coupled to pentaerythritol to self-assemble into nanocapsules for drug self-delivery, pointing to potential clinical translation in near future.

Elastic Characteristics of the Normal Achilles Tendon Assessed by Virtual Touch Imaging Quantification Shear Wave Elastography

To assess the elastic properties of the normal Achilles tendon in different age groups by Virtual Touch imaging quantification (VTIQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Malvern, PA) shear wave elastography.

Ultrasound elastography of ethanol-induced hepatic lesions: in vitro study.

OBJECTIVE To study the value of ultrasound elastography in evaluation of ethanol-induced lesions of liver. METHODS Alcohol with a dose of 2 ml was injected into a fresh porcine liver under ultrasound guidance to create stiff necrosis. Then freehand elastography of the lesion from the identical scan plane was obtained with SONOLINE Antares system using VF10-5 probe at about every 30 seconds till 6 minutes later. The original high quality radiofrequency data were acquired through an ultrasound research interface which was provided by the ultrasound system. Then, corresponding elastograms were produced offline using cross-correlation technique and compared with gross pathology findings. RESULTS Gray-scale sonogram showed a hyperechoic area with acoustic shadow below appeared immediately after alcohol injection. The hyperechoic area tended to be diffuse and its boundary to be illegible with time. On the contrary, the ethanol-induced lesion in elastogram appeared as a low strain hard region surrounded by high strain soft hepatic tissues, with clear but irregular boundaries. Sequential elastograms with the sketched lesion boundaries showed that the lesion area increased in the first 3 minutes after ethanol injection, and then reached a plateau which corresponding to gross specimen. CONCLUSION Ultrasound elastography is capable of detecting and evaluating the diffusion of ethanol-induced hepatic lesion, and more sensitive and accurate than routine sonography.

Elastographic Evaluation of the Temporal Formation of Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Lesions Preliminary In Vitro Results

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the temporal formation of ethanol‐induced hepatic lesions using ultrasound elastography.

Subtraction elastography for the evaluation of ablation-induced lesions: a feasibility study

Different noninvasive or minimally invasive therapeutic ablation procedures can produce tissue necrosis associated with local-stiffness increase. Although elastography has been proved as a potential evaluation tool for many kinds of ablation-induced lesions, the application of subtraction technique in elastography to enhance the visualization of the ablation lesions has rarely been reported. In this paper, subtraction elastography is proposed to evaluate the ablation-induced lesions. Three models are constructed to simulate different kinds of ablated inclusions. The simulation results showed that subtraction elastography is superior to conventional elastography in detecting the ablation-induced lesions with higher signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) and contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). The artifacts induced by elastographic signal processing algorithms can be largely reduced in subtraction elastography. In addition, subtraction elastography is less influenced by the stiff background and can provide more reliable boundary information about the lesion than conventional elastography. Furthermore, the feasibility of subtraction elastography is validated by an in vitro experiment of ethanol-induced hepatic lesions. The preliminary results of this work suggest that subtraction elastography may be a good option for the evaluation of ablationinduced lesions.

Value of Shear Wave Elastography Versus Contrast-Enhanced Sonography for Differentiating Benign and Malignant Superficial Lymphadenopathy Unexplained by Conventional Sonography.

This study aimed to compare the efficacy of shear wave elastography (SWE) and contrast‐enhanced sonography in the differential diagnosis of superficial lymphadenopathy with abnormal imaging findings, which could not be otherwise confirmed by conventional sonography.

Ultrasound Elastographic Findings of Mammary Fibromatosis

Mammary fibromatosis is an uncommon, benign tumor of the breast. It is locally aggressive and has a high rate of recurrence. Its clinical presentation and imaging results always call for suspicion of malignancy. Here we describe a case of mammary fibromatosis with clinical manifestation, radiographic and pathologic results, and imaging findings from ultrasound elastography.

Trichilemmal Cyst: Clinical and Sonographic Features: Trichilemmal Cyst

In this study, we retrospectively reviewed the clinical and sonographic features of patients with trichilemmal cysts.

P1C-3 Temporal Formation of the Ethanol-Induced Hepatic Lesions: Preliminary in Vitro Elastographic Results

Percutaneous ethanol injection (PEI) is used as a minor invasive therapy method in clinic. In the past two decades, it has been proven as an effective treatment method for small hepatocellular carcinomas and benign thyroid nodules. However, a real time monitoring imaging modality for PEI therapy is nonexistent. In this work, ethanol-induced lesions were created in fresh porcine livers by different-dose (1 mL, 2 mL, and 3 mL) injection and elastography was used to evaluate the temporal formation of these lesions. For each lesion, the elastograms from an identical scan plane were obtained every 30 seconds after ethanol injection, and the areas of the lesion in the elastogram sequences were calculated. Consequently, the temporal formation of the lesion was plotted as the elastographic area versus time. The results showed that ethanol-induced lesion could be easily found in the elastography as a low strain area. Its area grew quickly soon after the injection and reached a plateau in less than 4 minutes. The lesions created with less ethanol dose were smaller in size and they were formed in longer time. The result suggests that elastography is capable of monitoring the temporal formation of the ethanol-induce lesion, and is a potential monitoring imaging modality for PEI therapy.