70992 - Ecography in Internal Medicine and Bedside Clinical Ecography

Learning outcomes

1) The student will acquire knowledge on the basic physical principles of ultrasonolography and on the settings to be optimized and tuned on an ultrasound scanner during the various examinations.

2) The student will become aware of how organs and vessels of the abdomen and neckappear when they are normal and will personally test this in hands-on session.

3) The student will learn the ultrasound patterns of appearance of diseased organs.

4) The student will learn the basis of interventional ultrasound and specifically which are the indications, the modality of performing such procedures, the risk of adverse events and the expected outcomes.

5) The student will learn which are the primary liver neoplasms, risk factors for their occurence, which are the diagnostic modalities and the treament strategies, which specific reference to hepatocellular carcinoma and ultrasound assisted procedures.

Course contents

DATES OF THE COURSE

30-31 January 2013 and 1 February 2013

(3 days h 9.00-18.00)

SEDE DEL CORSO

Auletta Labò-Barbara Pad 5

· Basic principles and physics of ultrasound

· Types of tissue echo pattern and artifacts

· Abdominal ultrasound: examination methods and normal liver anatomy

· Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

· Diffuse liver diseases: clinical features and indications for liver biopsy

· Practical demonstrations of liver ultrasound

· Ultrasound of the gallbladder, biliary tree and pancreas

· Basic principles of Doppler ultrasound

· Estimation of liver stiffness using ultrasound

· Carotid and vertebral Doppler ultrasound

· Ultrasound of the spleen and lymphatic system

· Doppler ultrasound assesment of aortic diseases

· Doppler ultrasound of portal hypertension, splanchnic arteries, and hepatic veins

· Practical demonstrations of Doppler ultrasound examination

· Ultrasound of the gastrointestinal tract and retroperitoneum

· Doppler ultrasound of renovascular disease

· Ultrasound evaluation of kidney and urinary tract diseases

· Doppler ultrasound of arterial and venous system of the lower limbs

· Interventional ultrasound techniques

· Practical exercises of ultrasound examination (small groups of students)

· Classification of primary liver tumors

· Benign tumors: clinical and epidemiologic features

· Cholangiocarcinoma and rare primary malign liver tumors

· Hepatitis and hepatocellular carcinoma

· Hepatocellular carcinoma: carcinogenetic pathways

· Diagnosis of focal liver lesions in non-cirrhotic patients: ultrasound assesment and indications for liver biopsy

· Diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma and indication for liver biopsy

· Video of liver ultrasound and interventional procedures

· Staging of hepatocellular carcinoma

· Liver biopsy: technical aspects

· Histological evaluation of liver tumors

· Indications for surgical treatments: liver resection and liver transplantation

· Interventional radiological treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and cholangiocarcinoma

· Percutaneous treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma: ethanol injection and radiofrequency thermal ablation.

· Systemic therapy and current guidelines for the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma

· Thoracentesis and paracentesis

· Chest ultrasound

· Role of bedside ultrasound in the daily clinical practice

· Ultrasound - guided peripheral venous cannulation and FAST ultrasound examination

· Amniocentesis Ultrasound-guided Diagnostic Obstetrical Procedures

· Prostate biopsy

· Biopsy of superficial tissues

Readings/Bibliography

The recommended textbook is the EFSUMB European Course Book on Ultrasound which can be visualized free of charge online at the website http://www.efsumb.org/ecb/ecb-01.asp or it can be purchased throught the same website (60 Euros) as print out version.

Books in Italian:

Ecografia Clinica, curatori Busillacchi Rapaccini, Idelson Gnocchi Editore, Napoli

Manuale Italiano di Ecografia Interventistica, curatori Schiavone-Romano, Antonio Delfino Editore, Roma

Testo di riferimento in tre volumi. Ecografia Clinica, curatori Busillacchi Rapaccini, Idelson Gnocchi Editore, Napoli

Manuale Italiano di Ecografia Interventistica, curatori Schiavone-Romano, Antonio Delfino Editore, Roma

Teaching methods

1. Lectures (approximately 80% of the course)

2. Live demonstrations of ultrasound examinations performed in the lecture hall by the teachers(approximately 10% of the course)

3. Hands-on sessions in small groups to personally perform ultrasound imaging under the supervisione of the faculty(approximately 10% of the course)

Assessment methods

Attendance to the entire course over 3 days is mandatory. The final assessment will consist in a multichoice questionnaire distributed to be filled at the end of the course.

Teaching tools

The reference textbook is available for free online at the web address http://www.efsumb.org/ecb/ecb-01.asp

Ultrasound scanners to perform the hands-on sessions.

Portable ultrasound scanner and beamer for the liver demonstrations in the lecture hall.

Office hours

See the website of Luigi Bolondi