Ultrasound in medicine & biology
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Dec 2008
Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative StudyUterine ultrasonographic changes during endometriosis treatment: a comparison between levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices and a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist.
We compared the effects of levonorgestrel-releasing intrauterine devices (LNG-IUD) and a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist (GnRHa) on uterine volume, uterine arteries pulsatility index (PI) and endometrial thickness before and after six months of endometriosis treatment. Sixty women aged 18-40 y were allocated randomly to one of two groups: LNG-IUDs were inserted in 30 women, and GnRHa monthly injections were performed on the other 30. All 60 women were submitted to transvaginal 2-D ultrasound scans on the day that the treatment started and then six months later. ⋯ Uterine arteries PI increased for both groups; however, the increase was higher in the GnRHa group (0.99 +/- 0.84 vs. 0.38 +/- 0.84, p = 0.007; PI increase in GnRHa and in LNG-IUD groups, respectively). In conclusion, levonorgestrel released directly onto the endometrium by the LNG-IUD induced smaller uterine changes than did the hypoestrogenism induced by GnRHa. Nevertheless, both promoted similar effects on endometrial thickness.
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Ultrasound Med Biol · Mar 2004
Randomized Controlled Trial Clinical TrialComplex tibial fracture outcomes following treatment with low-intensity pulsed ultrasound.
A clinical study was conducted to investigate the effect of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (US) stimulation (LIPUS) on the healing of complex tibial fractures. Thirty complex tibial fractures were randomly assigned to the treatment with LIPUS (n = 16) or by a dummy machine (sham-exposed: n = 14). The fractures were immobilized by either internal or external fixations according to the clinical indications. ⋯ There were two cases of infection in the control group. The delayed-union cases were subsequently treated by LIPUS and the infection cases were treated with standard protocol. Fracture healing in these patients was again treated by LIPUS.