The Ultrasound Update 11/25/2020

This week’s ultrasound and medical news highlights, curated by National Ultrasound, Inc.

Ultrasound News Highlights:

• Focused ultrasound treatments target childhood cancers
  • Focused ultrasound is an emerging therapeutic technology that uses ultrasonic energy to target tissue deep in the body, precisely and non-invasively. The potential applications are wide-ranging: from ablation of tumours and other lesions to blood–brain barrier opening, immunomodulation and neuromodulation, to name just a few.
• Color Doppler Ultrasound beats Ankle-Brachial Pressure Index for diagnosing of PVD: Study
  • According to recent research published in the Indian Journal of Surgery, researchers having considered CT angiography as the gold standard investigation noted that Color Doppler ultrasound proved to be a better modality as compared to the ankle-brachial pressure index for diagnosis of peripheral vascular disease.
• Ultrasound tracks DVT in patients with severe COVID-19
  • Ultrasound was used to track deep vein thrombosis (DVT) prevalence in patients treated with mechanical ventilation for COVID-19 in a new study. Consistent sonography helped the team identify the benefit of twice-daily prophylactic medication, according to a November 20 research letter.
• Ultrasound reveals a possible role of SARS‐CoV‐2 in acute testicular infection
  • A single-center study from Wuhan in China presents ultrasound imaging evidence supporting the notion that the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) can cause infection of the testis or epididymis – and put patients at risk for further complications.
• Ultrasound-Guided Percutaneous Needle Biopsy ‘Excellent’ for Diagnosing Small Pleural Lesions
  • According to an open-access article in the American Journal of Roentgenology, ultrasound-guided percutaneous pleural needle biopsy (PCPNB) has excellent diagnostic accuracy for small pleural lesions.

From the National Ultrasound Blog:

• Elesta EchoLaser for Prostate Focal Ablation Treatment
  • Elesta EchoLaser offers a completely innovative clinical approach with respect to traditional endoscopic procedures. It is indeed a micro-invasive treatment, even less invasive than other minimally-invasive procedures available today.
• Buyer’s Guide for Point of Care Ultrasound Machines (POCUS)
  •  National Ultrasound’s team of experts, made up of experienced sonographers has put together recommendations for point of care ultrasound equipment. The units highlighted cover entry-level, mid-level, flagship-level, and portable to help you understand the different options so you can buy the best ultrasound machine for your practice.
• GE Voluson E10 Ovaries Imaging Training Video Demonstration
  • Video: Watch the GE Voluson E10 with a curved linear probe scan ovaries