Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography

To document the frequency of epididymal and testicular abnormalities in asymptomatic men, scrotal sonography was performed on 75 men ranging in age from 10 to 84 years. Epididymal cysts larger than 3 mm in size were found in 23% of the patients, hydroceles in 23%, varicoceles (tortuous vessels ×3 mm in diameter) in 11%, testicular cysts in 4%, atrophy in 3%, and calcifications in 3%. The high prevalence of these findings can complicate the interpretation of sonograms of the symptomatic scrotum.

The objective of this study is to demonstrate the feasibility, usefulness, and efficacy of duplex Doppler ultrasound and color flow imaging (CFI) in assessing hepatic vessel patency, blood flow direction, and quantitative estimation of blood flow velocities, before and after placement of a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPSS). Doppler ultrasound is a reliable method of evaluating vessel and shunt hemodynamics, and is also noninvasive. In this limited study, Doppler provides a noninvasive technique for estimating portosystemic pressure gradients; and these Doppler-derived measurements are correlated to data obtained by angiography, using angiography as the gold standard.

Neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor are the two most common abdominal malignancies encountered in pediatric patients. Neuroblastoma generally arises from the adrenal gland, whereas Wilms' tumors arise from the kidney. Recognition of the clinical symptoms, laboratory values, and sonographic appearances of these two entities can provide valuable information on location and extent of the neoplasm. Early detection of a neoplasm improves the survival rate of patients. The purpose of this article is to review characteristics and features of neuroblastoma and Wilms' tumor that will aid in the differential diagnosis of these tumors.

The term arthrogryposis is applied to a large group of conditions that result in joint contractures, abnormal positioning of hands or feet, and other neuromuscular defects. Abnormalities of the brain, spinal cord, peripheral nerves, muscles, or connective tissue lead to similar joint stiffness and contractures. Careful sonographic examination of an affected fetus can provide valuable information that will help in the assessment of diagnosis, prognosis, and risk of recurrence.

A case of thanatophoric dysplasia was reported in the fetus of a 39-year-old woman. The diagnosis was made on ultrasound examination at 21 weeks of gestation, when shortened long bones, cloverleaf skull, and narrow thorax were observed. Due to the lethality of this type of dwarfism, the pregnancy was terminated. Routine ultrasound scanning proves to be an important part of early detection of various abnormalities such as those seen in thanatophoric dysplasia.

A case of an epidermoid cyst with an atypical sonographic appearance is presented. Although ultrasound may aid in the diagnosis of this entity, it is not definitive.

Ultrasound is widely used for diagnosis of ectopic pregnancies, and is the accepted imaging modality to rule out ectopic pregnancies. Rudimentary horn pregnancy can be difficult to differentiate from an abdominal pregnancy. The visualization of an intact placenta with welldefined borders seems to be a key in the differential diagnosis. It is also helpful to obtain confirmation of a diagnosis such as this with another imaging modality. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the most helpful and widely recognized imaging modality for this purpose.

Aortic dissection is a lethal condition that requires immediate medical and, many times, surgical intervention. A case involving a patient with such a condition and in which the findings were incidental is presented.