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“Journal of Ultrasonography” gets an IF!!

We are proud and pleased to announce that “Journal of Ultrasonography” has joined the elite group of periodicals with an Impact Factor (IF).

Our IF for 2023 is 1.3 (5-year IF – 1.2).

I want to extend my sincere thanks to the Members of the Scientific Committee, Section Editors, Authors, and Reviewers. This success is your success. The IF is a testament to your effort and hard work over many years. Without your invaluable contribution, we would not be in the place we are today.

We hope that in the coming years we will be able to consolidate our position – and even strengthen it ‒ by publishing even better papers with a greater citation potential. 

This will only be possible with your continued support, so we will greatly appreciate your unwavering commitment, good-quality publications, careful reviews, and plenty of citations (mainly articles from 2022 and more recent studies). All these elements are essential if we want to enjoy an even better IF score next year.

Happy and grateful in equal measure, we pledge to continue our hard work!.

 

Prof. Iwona Sudoł-Szopińska
Editor-in-Chief

Ultrasonography in the diagnosis of pediatric distal forearm fracture: a systematic review

Purpose: Distal forearm fractures are one of the commonest injuries in children due to falling on an outstretched hand. Plain X-ray is the gold standard test for diagnosing fractures of long bones but it exposes patients to radiation with its associated health hazards. The use of ultrasonography has been proposed as a safer diagnostic test. This review aimed to summarize the evidence regarding the diagnostic accuracy of bedside ultrasonography for identifying distal forearm fractures in pediatric patients. Methods: Electronic search of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Google Scholar, and Best Bets databases was conducted for studies published from inception to May 2017. The search terms used included “forearm” and “fractures” and “children.” Results: Seven studies were included in the review. The overall accuracy of ultrasonography ranged from 78.6% to 99.5%. The sensitivity and specificity ranged from 85% to 100%, and from 73% to 100%, respectively. The area under the curve for ultrasonography ranged from 0.79 to 1.00. Conclusion: Ultrasound is a reliable diagnostic tool for the diagnosis of distal forearm fractures in children when performed by well-trained emergency doctors and through using an appropriate viewing method. Conducting larger prospective blinded studies on long bone injuries would be recommended.

Ayman S. Ahmed, Ahmed E. Abdelhady
J Ultrason 2024; 24: 19
Overview for developing Delphi-based interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging: pros and cons

This review paper offers a concise guide on how to execute Delphi-based interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging. Fundamental to the Delphi methodology are several core principles. First, an initial key element is the selection of experts, known as panelists. Second is the principle of anonymity among participants, ensuring that no single individual or group applies excessive influence over others. Third, the methodology involves iterative rounds where statements are presented repeatedly, allowing for controlled feedback. Lastly, after each round, participants are given insight into the collective panel’s previous responses. This knowledge enables them to potentially reconsider and adjust their positions in subsequent rounds, driving towards the group consensus. These principles emphasize the critical role of statistical group responses and the structured interaction inherent in the Delphi approach. Looking at the broader process, the development of Delphi-based interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging unfolds through several stages. It begins with identifying the research field or the consensus statements in question. This is followed by undertaking comprehensive literature research. Subsequently, pertinent questions and their corresponding statements are crafted. The process then moves on to administering anonymous, iterative questionnaire rounds. Feedback, both on an individual and collective level, is provided between the rounds. The process culminates in the summarization and reporting of the finalized Delphi-based interdisciplinary consensus statements on imaging.

Tobias Johannes Dietrich, Vasco V. Mascarenhas, Luis Cerezal, P. Diana Afonso, Iwona Sudoł-Szopińska
J Ultrason 2024; 24: 15
The ileocecal valve in transabdominal ultrasound Part 1: Sonographic anatomy and technique

The ileocecal valve is a part of the gastrointestinal tract that separates two intestinal segments differing in both anatomy and function. Dysfunction or surgical removal of the valve usually results in the development of small intestinal bacterial overgrowth syndrome. The available literature lacks a broader discussion and ultrasound presentation of the ileocecal valve. The aim of this study is to present our experience in transabdominal ultrasound of the ileocecal valve in comparison with colonoscopic and computed tomography colonography data. In this part of the manuscript, we discuss the anatomical structures in the right iliac fossa that make up the ileocecal segment of the intestine. The ileocecal valve, which comes in two morphological forms: labial and papillary, is its central part. As shown in computed tomography colonography, the first type is more common, accounting for 76%, the second type accounts for 21%, whereas ileocecal valve lipomatosis is found in 3% of cases. Post-mortem studies have shown a significantly higher incidence of valve lipomatosis, which was found in up to 4 out of 5 cases. Our observations correspond with these findings. Ileocecal valve lipomatosis presents on ultrasound as a hyperechoic, well-circumscribed lesion, with no evident vascularity on color Doppler. This image should be differentiated especially from a lipoma, a relatively common large intestinal pathology. The paper presents two methods of preparation for an ultrasound scan (i.e. only on an empty stomach or after cleansing the intestine) and determines the optimal imaging methods for the ileocecal valve using transabdominal ultrasound. At the end of the ileocecal examination, it should be remembered to assess the lymph nodes in the right iliac fossa.

Andrzej Smereczyński, Katarzyna Kołaczyk, Grzegorz Goncerz
Ultrason 2024; 24: 14