Journal of Diagnostic Medical Sonography

Intracranial hemorrhage is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in the preterm neonate. Sonographic examination techniques allow accurate non-invasive diagnosis and follow-up. The pathophysiology of ICH is discussed. Sonographic findings are reviewed as are clinical considerations in infants with ICH.

Abdominal sonograms on seven patients with asplenia syndrome and six patients with polysplenia syndrome were retrospectively reviewed. All seven patients with asplenia had a horizontal symmetric configuration of the liver, and three patients had the cardiac apex opposite the stomach. Four of six patients with polysplenia syndrome had a symmetric configuration of the liver, and in five patients the cardiac apex was opposite the stomach. In two of six patients with polysplenia syndrome, multiple spleens were observed sonographically, and the spleen was noted sonographically to be lobulated in three of the patients. The spleen was not visible on at least one sonographic examination in three patients with polysplenia in which the presence of the spleen was subsequently documented. Four patients with polysplenia syndrome showed an interruption of the inferior vena cava. The authors conclude that the knowledgeable sonographer can usually identify the complex abdominal anomalies that are observed in these syndromes if an organized survey of the abdominal organs, particularly the venous structures, is performed. The spleen may be difficult to identify in some patients, and other abdominal anomalies, especially interruption of the interior vena cava can serve as valuable clues that the spleen is probably present, and further search for it is indicated.

Carcinoma of the prostate is a disease that threatens most men of advanced age. Early diagnosis can greatly improve the prognosis. With the use of ultrasound, the prostate can be visualized and many subtle changes can be documented. This article reviews the anatomy and sonographic appearance of the normal prostate as well as that of prostatic carcinoma. A detailed description of the scanning techniques, including the transabdominal, transperineal, endourethral, and endorectal approaches, is provided. The advantages and disadvantages of each approach, the equipment that is necessary, and ultrasound-guided biopsies are also discussed.