This study aims to evaluate the role of <50% stenotic cervical carotid artery plaques in embolic stroke of undetermined source (ESUS), focusing on plaque characteristics in symptomatic versus asymptomatic carotid arteries (contralateral). In this cross-sectional observational study, 81 patients who met the diagnostic criteria for ESUS and underwent were retrospectively analyzed. Carotid plaques causing <50% stenosis were examined, noting features such as plaque thickness, degree of luminal stenosis, irregularity, ulceration, calcification, and hypodensity. These characteristics were compared between the ipsilateral and contralateral carotid arteries. The study involved 33 men and 48 women, with plaques ≥3mm thick significantly more common in the ipsilateral carotid arteries (P < .05). Notable features such as plaque ulceration, irregularity, noncalcified plaque, and hypodensity were significantly more frequent ipsilaterally (P < .05). Of the plaque patients, 54.3% (44/81) were on the ipsilateral side, compared to 29.6% (24/81) on the contralateral side (P = .0024). Our findings underscore the potential significance of non-stenotic carotid plaques in ESUS. These plaques, especially those with certain high-risk characteristics, are more prevalent ipsilaterally and should be considered in clinical evaluations and treatment of ESUS.

Background/Objectives: Multimodal large language models (LLMs) may directly interpret medical images, including thyroid ultrasounds (USs). Whether these models can reliably assess thyroid nodules—where subtle echogenic and morphological details are critical—remains uncertain. The American College of Radiology (ACR) TI-RADS system provides a structured framework for benchmarking artificial intelligence. This study evaluates GPT-5.0’s ability to interpret thyroid US images according to TI-RADS criteria and contextualizes its performance relative to expert radiologist assessment, using FNA cytology as the reference standard. Methods: This retrospective study included 100 patients (mean age 49.8 ± 12.6 years; 72 women) with cytology-confirmed diagnoses: Bethesda II (benign) or Bethesda V–VI (malignant). Each nodule had longitudinal and transverse US images acquired with high-frequency linear probes. A board-certified radiologist (>10 years’ experience) and GPT-5.0 independently assessed TI-RADS features (composition, echogenicity, shape, margin, echogenic foci) and assigned final categories. Agreement was analyzed using Cohen’s κ, and diagnostic performance was calculated using TR4–TR5 as positive for malignancy. Results: Agreement was substantial for composition (κ = 0.62), shape (κ = 0.70), and margin (κ = 0.68); moderate for echogenicity (κ = 0.48); and poor for echogenic foci (κ = 0.12). GPT-5.0 demonstrated a systematic, risk-averse tendency to up-classify nodules, leading to increased TR4–TR5 assignments. Overall, the TI-RADS agreement was 58% (κ = 0.31). The radiologist showed superior diagnostic performance (sensitivity 89%, specificity 85%) compared with GPT-5.0 (sensitivity 67%, specificity 49%), largely driven by false-positive TR4 classifications among benign nodules. Conclusions: GPT-5.0 recognizes several high-level TI-RADS features but struggles with microcalcifications and tends to overestimate malignancy risk within a risk-stratification framework, limiting its standalone clinical use. Ultrasound-specific training and domain adaptation may enable meaningful adjunctive roles in thyroid nodule assessment.

Background: Microwave ablation (MWA) is an effective, minimally invasive therapy for benign thyroid nodules; however, the treatment response varies considerably. Identifying imaging biomarkers that can predict volumetric outcomes may optimize patient selection. Diffusion-weighted MRI (DW-MRI) offers a noninvasive assessment of tissue microstructure through apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements, which may correlate with ablation efficacy. Methods: In this prospective study, 48 patients with 50 cytologically confirmed benign thyroid nodules underwent diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (DW-MRI) before minimally invasive ablation (MWA). Baseline ADC values were measured, and nodule volumes were assessed by ultrasound at baseline and 1, 3, and 6 months postprocedure. The volume reduction ratio (VRR) was calculated, and associations with baseline variables were analyzed via Pearson correlation and multivariable linear regression. ROC curve analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ADC in predicting significant volume reduction (VRR ≥ 50%). Results: Lower baseline ADC values were strongly correlated with greater VRR at 3 months (r = −0.525, p < 0.001) and 6 months (r = −0.564, p < 0.001). Multivariable regression revealed that the baseline ADC was the sole independent predictor of the 6-month VRR (β = −19.52, p = 0.0004). ROC analysis demonstrated excellent discriminative performance (AUC = 0.915; 95% CI: 0.847–0.971), with an ADC cutoff of 2.20 × 10⁻³ mm²/s yielding 90.9% sensitivity and 83.3% specificity for predicting a favorable volumetric response. Conclusions: Baseline ADC values derived from DW-MRI strongly predict volumetric response following microwave ablation of benign thyroid nodules. Incorporating ADC assessment into preprocedural evaluation may enhance patient selection and improve therapeutic outcomes.

Microwave ablation (MWA) has emerged as a minimally invasive treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), offering a promising alternative for patients ineligible for surgical resection. This study aims to evaluate the efficacy, safety, and clinical outcomes of MWA in a single-center cohort, focusing on treatment success, recurrence rates, and long-term survival. A retrospective analysis was conducted on 54 patients who underwent percutaneous ultrasound-guided MWA for HCC between January 2019 and December 2023. Patient demographics, tumor characteristics, and procedural outcomes were assessed. Treatment success was defined as complete ablation confirmed by contrast-enhanced imaging one month post-procedure. Local tumor progression (LTP) and recurrence rates were evaluated during follow-up. Survival outcomes were analyzed based on follow-up data, considering overall survival and recurrence-free survival rate. A total of 71 tumors were treated in 54 patients. Complete ablation was achieved in 91.5% of tumors following the initial or secondary procedure. LTP was observed in 16.6% of patients during follow-up. No major complications were reported. The median follow-up period was 36 months, and survival outcomes were comparable to those reported for other ablative techniques. No statistically significant correlation was found between tumor size and ablation success (p>0.05). MWA is an effective and safe treatment modality for HCC, demonstrating high technical success and acceptable recurrence rates. These findings support the continued integration of MWA in multidisciplinary HCC management, particularly for patients ineligible for surgery. Further research with larger cohorts and longer follow-up is needed to optimize patient selection and refine ablation strategies.

Aim: Congenital vascular malformations of the thorax are not very common. These conditions are mostly asymptomatic and detected incidentally on imaging performed for various complaints. In this study, it is aimed to examine the incidence of congenital thoracic vascular anomalies in our region.Methods: The features of the patients with non-specific complaints who underwent a thorax Computed Tomography (CT) for over 2 years period were retrospectively reviewed on the hospital database and demographical data (Gender and age) were recorded. All the Computed Tomography CT images were interpreted regarding thoracic vascular anomalies including persistent left superior vena cava, azygos lobe, aberrant right subclavian artery, dilated left superior intercostal vein, right-sided aortic arch, situs inversus, and partial anomalous pulmonary venous return. The incidences of these thoracic vascular anomalies were calculated and compared with previous studies. Results: A total of 2000 patients with a mean age of 56.13±14.62 (12-93 years) were included in this study. Among them 776 (38.8%) ones were female (mean age 56.93±15.19 (13-93 years)) and 1224 (61.2%) were male (mean age 55.63±14.23 (12-88 years)). Mediastinal vascular anomaly was detected in 62 (3.1%) patients. A mediastinal vascular anomaly was observed in 27 (3.5%) female patients and 35 (2.6%) male patients. The most common mediastinal vascular anomaly inthis study was the right aberrant subclavian artery (n:17, 0.9%) and the rarest was partial anomalous pulmonary venous return (n:1, 0.1%). Persistent left superior vena cava incidence was 0.3% (n:6), azygos lobe 0.7% (n:14), right-sided aortic arch 0.3% (n:5), situs inversus totalis 0.2% (n:3), and dilated left superior intercostal vein 0.8% (n:16).Conclusion: Mediastinal vascular anomalies are rare and usually asymptomatic. But the imaging findings of these conditions must be well-known to accurately planning the interventions and also to prevent iatrogenic injuries.