Dear Ultrasound Insider,
Ultrasound continues to make strides in helping identify and assess the myriad medical issues our world faces. From advancing our knowledge of COVID-19 to better understanding fetal and pediatric ailments, ultrasound is proving its versatility in the greater radiology community.
For example, a French team found that ultrasound can predict the difficulty of a fetal delivery based on head positioning and stationing. Read more in this edition's Insider Exclusive.
In COVID-related news, ultrasound was able to find links between symptoms of long COVID-19 disease and the effects of the SARS-CoV-2 virus on the vagus nerve. The researchers said that information such as this could lead to better interventions for patients.
Speaking of COVID, point-of-care ultrasound can help rule out pulmonary embolism in critically ill COVID-19 patients when imaging multiple organs. The study authors proposed that this method could also help determine which COVID-19 patients should undergo CT pulmonary angiography.
In other news, ultrasound images used for statistical shape modeling can help predict hip dysplasia in infants and whether abduction treatment devices are needed.
Plus, check out the following recent ultrasound stories:
- Texas Tech University researchers used ultrasound to help zero in on changes in back muscles that could be a sign of low back pain in healthcare workers who have to manually move patients.
- Ultrasound can help women with ductal carcinoma in situ avoid surgery by identifying features that indicate less aggressive cases on breast exams.
- Transvaginal ultrasound is on par with MRI when it comes to accurately assessing myometrial invasion in women with endometrial cancer.
- A clinical algorithm that combines echocardiography with measurement of tissue strain can help accurately diagnose cardiac dysfunction after early-stage breast cancer treatment.
Find more articles like these by regularly visiting your Ultrasound Community!
![Examples of ultrasound findings and techniques. (A) Images in a 39-year-old male patient with a mass in the left thigh. The mass is heterogeneous on the B-mode US image (compared with the patient in D) and showed increased microvascularity (superb microvascular imaging [SMI]) and shear-wave elastography (SWE) values. Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy (with pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in surgical specimen). (B) Images in an 18-year-old male patient with a mass in the left leg. The mass is hypoechoic on the B-mode image, with no other findings suggestive of malignancy. The lesion is in contact with the cortex of the tibia, which is slightly irregular. CT revealed a doubtful anteromedial tibial erosion. The microvascular study demonstrated high vascularization, suggestive of malignancy. Periosteal Ewing sarcoma was diagnosed with both histologic and immunohistochemical confirmation. (C) Images in a 69-year-old female patient with a lump growing on the outside of the left leg. Multiple SWE examinations were performed (please note the high values obtained in the measurements, whereas the color map highlights the stiffness relative to adjacent tissues). SMI showed areas of increased vascularization to target for sampling. Undifferentiated spindle cell sarcoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with residual leiomyosarcoma in the surgical specimen after neoadjuvant therapy. (D) Images in a 56-year-old female patient with a mass in the right thigh. The mass is heterogeneous at both B-mode ultrasound (similar to patient A) and MRI (coronal T2-weighted spectral attenuated inversion recovery [SPAIR]; T1-weighted pre-contrast and postcontrast imaging), which even shows uptake after the administration of paramagnetic contrast material, which is traditionally suggestive of malignancy. Low values at SMI and elastography are suggestive of benignity. Spindle cell lipoma was diagnosed at biopsy, with atypical spindle cell lipomatous tumor in the surgical specimen.](https://img.auntminnie.com/mindful/smg/workspaces/default/uploads/2026/08/images-radiol250278fig2.APCFLSvX6p.jpg?auto=format%2Ccompress&dpr=2&fit=crop&h=167&q=70&w=250)
