Background Familiarity with post-IRE imaging interpretation is of considerable importance in determining ablation success and detecting recurrence. CEUS can be used to assess the tumour response and characteristics of the ablation zone. It is of clinical interest to describe the ultrasonographic findings of liver tumours after irreversible electroporation (IRE) percutaneous ablation. Methods A prospective study of 24 cases of malignant liver tumours (22 cases of primary liver tumours and 2 cases of liver metastases) treated by IRE ablation was conducted. Two inspectors evaluated the ablation zone in a consensus reading performed immediately, 1 day, and 1 month after IRE ablation. The gold standard method, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), was used to evaluate the effectiveness of the treatment at 1 month. Results Immediately after IRE ablation and up to 1 month later, the ablation zones gradually changed from hypo-echogenicity to hyper-echogenicity on conventional ultrasound and showed non-enhancement on contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS). One month after IRE ablation, CEUS and MRI results were highly consistent (κ = 0.78, p < 0.05). Conclusions We conclude that CEUS may be an effective tool for assessing post-IRE ablation changes after 1 month. CEUS enables the depiction of tumour vascularity in real time and serves as an easy, repeatable method.

Background Primary retroperitoneal serous adenocarcinoma (PRSA) is a rare malignant disease. Given the rarity of the disease, the imaging features of PRSA are unclear. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) also plays an important role in the evaluation of the differential diagnosis of retroperitoneal lesions. Case presentation We report the case of a 62-year-old woman of with increased CA125 levels for 1 year who was referred to our hospital. After conducting contrast-enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, the mass was misdiagnosed as a chocolate cyst. After transvaginal ultrasound (TUS) combined with CEUS, cystadenocarcinoma was considered as the initial diagnosis. Pathology results confirmed PRSA as the final diagnosis. Conclusions CEUS features of PRSA are reported for the first time based on this case, potentially aiding in the differential diagnosis of this rare entity before surgery.

Background: Caesarean scar pregnancy (CSP) is a rare complication of caesarean delivery and a special type of ectopic pregnancy. Gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) is an uncommon complication of pregnancy. Early diagnosis of the two diseases is crucial because a delay or misdiagnosis can lead to increased maternal morbidity and mortality. Case presentation: We report two cases of uterine isthmus lesions with a previous caesarean section (CS). Two patients were misdiagnosed based on the first ultrasound exam. The first case of trophoblastic tumour was initially diagnosed as CSP, while the second case, which had a scar pregnancy, was misdiagnosed as GTN. The misdiagnoses were due to the particularity of the locations of the lesions in the two patients, complicating the ultrasound-based diagnosis and hindering early clinical diagnosis and treatment. Conclusions: A medical history, β-hCG measurements and transvaginal ultrasound are necessary to diagnose lesions in the lower anterior wall of the uterus early. However, when the location cannot be determined, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) can be further performed to determine whether the lesion is located at the uterine scar. Combined with the degree of increased β-hCG, differentiate CSP, myometrial GTN or caesarean scar GTN is helpful.

BACKGROUND Diagnosing hyperandrogenemia in postmenopausal women is very difficult. It occasionally manifests as excessive hair growth or with no clinical manifestations, and is therefore often misdiagnosed or missed altogether. Ovarian steroid cell tumors that cause hyperandrogenemia in women account for approximately 0.1% of all ovarian tumors. Due to the low incidence, corresponding imaging reports are rare, so ovarian steroid cell tumors lacks typical imaging findings to differentiate it from other ovarian tumors. Therefore, we summarized its clinical and imaging characteristics through this case series, and elaborated on the differential diagnosis of steroid cell tumors. CASE SUMMARY We report three cases of postmenopausal women with hyperandrogenemia. Only 1 patient showed virilization symptoms, the other two patients were completely asymptomatic. All patients underwent total hysterectomy + bilateral adnexectomy. Histological results showed one case of Leydig cell tumor and two cases of benign, non-specific steroid cell tumor. After the operation, the androgen levels of all patients returned to normal, and there was no clinical recurrence since follow-up. CONCLUSION Although virilization caused by increased serum testosterone levels is an important clinical feature of ovarian steroid cell tumors, it is often asymptomatic. A solid, slightly hypoechoic, round or oval mass with uniform internal echo, richer blood flow in the solid part, and low resistance index are typical imaging features of ovarian steroid cell tumors. Diagnosis of ovarian steroid cell tumors after menopause is challenging, but surgery can be used for both diagnosis and clear treatment.