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  Background & Objectives: Patients in unstable condition with blunt abdominal trauma require rapid evaluation of abdominal organs to assess the need for laparatomy. Ultrasonography is a fast technique which can be used in the resuscitation area to detect free intraperitoneal fluid as an indication of intraabdominal injury. This prospective study was designed to determine the efficiency of emergency abdominal sonography for evaluating patients with blunt abdominal trauma and to compare the accrurcy of ultrasonography with the results of diagnostic peritoneal lavage and CT scan.

  Methods: Emergency sonography was performed prior to diagnostic peritoneal lavage and CT scan on 174 patients with blunt abdorminal trauma. Sonography was performed with FAST ( Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma) technique and six area of the abdomen where examined to detect free intraperitoneal fluid.

  Results: The results of this study revealed that ultrasonography has a sensitivity of 95% a specificity of 80.8%., and an overall accuracy of 89.4% for detecting free intraperitoneal fluid. The positive and negative predictive value of sonography was 89.4% and 90.1% respectively.

  Conclusion: Ultrasonography is a reliable method for the emergent evaluation of blunt abdominal trauma and can be used instead of diagnostic peritoneal lavage.

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Background & Objectives: Venous thromboembolism is a common disorder that is difficult to diagnose clinically but carries significant mortality if untreated. Many diagnostic imaging algorithms for the detection of PTE, including ventilation perfusion lung scan, Doppler ultrasonography of lower extremity and pulmonary CT angiography. This study's aim was the comparison of Doppler ultrasonography of lower extremity with perfusion -ventilation lung scan in patients suspected for pulmonary emboli and finding the best approach for diagnosis of the suspected pulmonary emboli.
Methods: One hundred twenty patients of suspected pulmonary embolism referred by internists to Doppler ultrasonography of lower limbs Department of Imam's Khomeini Hospital were studied. The patients were studied within 48 hour post suspected pulmonary emboli and evaluated with V/Q scan and Doppler ultrasonography.
Results: The prevalence of DVT in lower limbs of patients suspected of pulmonary emboli was %37.5. Results of lung scan in patients suspected pulmonary emboli are as below: High probability in %17.5, intermediate probability in %27.5, low probability in %41.5 and normal in %13.5 Results of lung scan in patients suspected  for pulmonary embolism with DVT are as follow: High probability in %24.4, Intermediate probability in %33.3, low probability in %26.7 and normal in %15.6. Mean age in patients with and without DVT Was 52.53 14.13 and 56.22 17.63 year respectively.
Conclusion: Patients suspected for pulmonary emboli with normal lung scan needs more assessment for DVT in lower extremity with Doppler ultrasonography. Normal Doppler ultrasonography of lower extremity doesn't exclude performing lung scan for approving pulmonary emboli. Doppler ultrasonography and lung scan both need evaluating patients suspected for pulmonary embolism.

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Background & objectives: 10 year survival rates for thyroid cancer is about 90%, but papillary thyroid cancer often spread to regional lymph nodes resulting in survival rate falls below 90%. In patients with thyroid cancer, cervical lymph node metastasis risk is about 20 to 50 percent. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between ultrasound results and the involvement of lymph nodes before thyroidectomy and compare it with the pathologic response after thyroidectomy in patients with non-medullary thyroid cancer.
Methods: 60 patients with thyroid cancer were randomly selected and entered into the study. Ultrasonographic examination of cervical lymph nodes was performed by two radiologists using an ultrasound machine in all patients diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Patients underwent total thyroidectomy and neck lymph node dissection by surgeon.
Results: In papillary thyroid cancer, there was a significant relationship between ultrasonographic results and pathologic outcomes in determining the presence of cervical lymph node metastasis before thyroidectomy. And also, there was a significant relationship between the results of ultrasonography and pathologic findings in determining the location of affected lymph nodes.
Conclusion: Compared to histological examination, ultrasonography can be a useful tool in determining the location of affected cervical lymph node in thyroid cancers before surgery.