Background. Routine use of ultrasound methods does not always allow detecting endometriosis in the early stages. It is necessary to develop more accurate criteria for the diagnosis of endometriosis in its initial stages of development. Objective: to assess ultrasound and biological markers of endometriosis “small” forms of different localization in infertile women.

Material and methods. Ultrasound examination of 208 infertile patients with initial stages of external endometriosis (1–15 points by revised American Fertility Society (rAFS) classificatoon) was performed (main group). The control group consisted of 195 healthy women of childbearing age. To verify the diagnosis, it is suggested to use a panel of biomarkers, including interleukins (IL) 1β and 6, CA125, HE4 as well as the ROMA (Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm) index in the dynamics of the menstrual cycle.

Results. On ultrasound scans, 56 (94.9%) patients had small one- and two-sided ovarian cysts corresponding to endometriosis stage 1–2 (rAFS), and in 3 (5.4%) of them, the ultrasound result was questionable. Detectability during the initial ultrasound examination in the Douglas space was 76.9%, in the rest of cases the ultrasound picture was doubtful. Peritoneal endometriosis was detected only in 5 patients. In the remaining cases (88.9%), additional studies were necessary, including surgical (laparoscopy). The average content of CA125 in the main group on days 3–5 of the menstrual cycle was 42.6 (2.1) U/ml, on days 21–23 – 39.6(2.2) U/ml (p=0.32); in the control group, 5.1 (0.4) and 4.8 (0.7) U/ml, respectively (p = 0.71). The increase in CA125 in the main group was almost 8 times higher than in the control group, however, according to the indicators of HE4 and the ROMA index, statistically significant differences in the groups were not obtained. In the dynamics of the menstrual cycle, the content of ILs in the main group significantly decreased by days 21–23 of the cycle, while the content of CA125 and HE4 remained practically unchanged. Such sharp fluctuations of the considered biomarkers were not detected in the control group. However, even on days 21–23 of the cycle, the average content of ILs and CA125 in women of the main group remained statistically significantly higher than in the control group.

Conclusion. In infertile women with dubious ultrasound criteria of external endometriosis, the use of IL1β and IL-6, which stimulate the immune inflammatory response, as well as tumor markers CA125, HE4 and ROMA index allows to differentiate the disease in the initial stages.

Background. Vascular stiffness is an important predictor of cardiovascular disease. The vascular wall biomechanical parameters change not only in patients with genetic disorders of the connective tissue. This means that, regardless of etiology, the early detection of a progressive loss of aortic elasticity is of great clinical importance in preventing the development of severe complications. Assessment of aortic biomechanical parameters using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a new level of visualization for aortic diseases allowing to improve surgical tactics and prevent complications. A number of biomechanical parameters determined by aortic MRI demonstrates the process of its wall remodeling, so their analysis will allow to develope an algorithm for the early diagnosis of aneurysms and the threat of acute aortic syndrome.

Objective: using aortic MRI data, to evaluate the aortic biomechanical parameters and hemodynamics at pre- and postoperative stages and their impact on the occurrence of complications and relapses in the long-term period.

Material and methods. Between 2020 and 2023, in Petrovsky Russian Scientific Center of Surgery, aortic MRI was performed prospectively before and after surgery in 107 patients with diagnoses of ascending aortic aneurysm (55 patients: 48 (87%) males and 7 (13%) females, mean age 79.4±14.91 years) and DeBakey type I and III aortic dissection, chronic stage (52 patients: 44 (85%) males and 8 (15%) females, mean age 54.32±10.41 years).

Results. The quantitative data analysis in the postoperative period showed a decrease in the aortic wall elastic properties in the form of extensibility (0.4 [0.34; 0.54] %/mm Hg in the aneurysm group; 0.5 [0.25; 0.55] %/mmHg in the dissection group) and an increase in stiffness in the form of Young’s modulus (0.6 [0.38; 0.68] MPa in the aneurysm group; 0.5 [0.39; 0.83] MPa in the dissection group). Hemodynamic changes in the dissection group after surgery demonstrated a significant increase in values of maximum velocity in the descending aorta (78.6 [66.24; 130.78] cm/sec) and pressure gradient at the celiac trunk level (2.10 [1.76; 6.84] mm Hg). When assessing the pulse wave velocity parameter in both groups, high values were noted with a tendency to increase after surgery (in the aneurysm group, 7.7 [5.7; 20.3] cm/s before surgery versus 8.7 [6.5; 10.65] cm/s after surgery; in the dissection group, 9.7 [6.8; 12.9] versus 12.7 [7.7; 15.7] cm/s, respectively).

Conclusion. Monitoring general hemodynamics and blood flow patterns together with an assessment of the aortic wall elasticity will make it possible to identify patients with borderline aortic dilatation. At the same time, studies of the aortic prosthetic segment are of particular interest. The obtained data on hemodynamic changes occuring at the border of the prosthetic and native segments of the operated aorta can confirm and justify the development of a complication in the form of distal stent graft-induced new entry (dSINE).

Objective: to evaluate the possibilities of dynamic scintigraphy for the diagnosis of esophageal dysmotility (ED) and gastroesophageal reflux (GER) in patients with systemic sclerosis (SS).

Material and methods. The study group included 77 patients with established SS of different disease duration (from several months to 30 years) who underwent Technephyt 99mTc dynamic esophageal scintigraphy using two-stage protocol. During the first stage, the esophageal transport function was evaluated; during the second stage, the presence and severity of GER were assessed. Scans were analyzed using visual assessment, quantitative estimation of time/activity curves, and a proposed three-point scale for evaluating ED and GER severity. The control group consisted of 19 practically healthy individuals who underwent a routine examination to exclude digestive system and gastrointestinal tract diseases, the algorithm of which included dynamic scintigraphy.

Results. ED was found in 74 of 77 patients (96%). According to three-point scale, severe ED (3 points) was registrated in 41 (55%) patients, moderate ED (2 points) in 15 (21%), and mild ED in 18 (24%). GER was diagnosed in 35 of 77 cases (45%): mild GER in 13 (37%), moderate GER (2 points) in 22 (63%), and none of the patients was found to have severe GER (3 points). A significant relationship between the presence of GER and the severity of ED was not obtained, but a direct correlation was established between ED and GER severity.

Conclusion. Most SS patients demonstrated ED of varying severity associated with mild and moderate GER in nearly 45% of the cases. The study results confirm the practical significance of dynamic scintigraphy for assessing the esophageal transport function and GER in SS patients.

Positron emission tomography combined with computed tomography (PET/CT) with 18^F-fluoro-deoxyglucose (18^F-FDG) plays an important role in the management of cancer patients and is mainly used for primary staging, evaluation of treatment response and detection of disease recurrence. Due to non-specific nature of 18^F-FDG uptake, a radiologist must be familiar with both physiological and atypical distribution of radiopharmaceuticals. Inappropriate patient preparation for the study and/or taking certain drugs can lead to abnormal 18^F-FDG distribution. Our clinical case demonstrates an atypical uptake of 18^F-FDG in white adipose tissue in a child treated with glucocorticoids for a long time.

Ladd’s syndrome is a violation of intrauterine intestinal rotation. The midgut remains fixed at one point at the origin of the superior mesenteric artery. As a result, conditions are created for the occurrence of a volvulus around the root of the mesentery and acute strangulation intestinal obstruction develops. Ladd’s syndrome includes three features: a high position of the caecum dome, duodenal hyperfixation, and lack of mesenteric fixation. In newborns, this condition is manifested by acute complete high strangulation intestinal obstruction, up to the development of shock. Examination for suspected Ladd’s syndrome should be comprehensive and include a survey abdominal radiography, abdominal ultrasound, gastric and duodenal radiography with oral contrast, irrigography. The article considers clinical cases of Ladd’s syndrome in newborns at the age of 3 and 5 days of life. Echograms made in B-mode using color Doppler sonography are presented. The high informativeness of ultrasound diagnostics for the detection of this syndrome in newborns with a clinic of bile vomiting is shown. In one of the observed cases, a pathognomonic echographic symptom of midgut volvulus was established (a whirlpool sign). In the second observation, a clearly defined vascular ring was not detected due to 180° torsion, which was subsequently confirmed intraoperatively.

The relevance of implementing artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in the diagnosis of breast cancer (BC) is associated with a continuing high increase in BC incidence among women and its leading position in the structure of cancer incidence. Theoretically, using AI technologies is possible both at the stage of screening and in clarifying BC diagnosis. The article provides a brief overview of AI systems used in clinical practice and discusses their prospects in BC diagnosis. Advances in machine learning can be effective to improve the accuracy of mammography screening by reducing missed cancer cases and false positives.