A new ultra high-resolution ultrasound machine, capable of detecting liver and thyroid disease, has been installed at Bangladesh Medical University's National Institute of Nuclear Medicine and Allied Sciences (NINMAS).
The Resonance A-20 machine can measure liver fat, assess fibrosis and cirrhosis, and assist in diagnosing liver and thyroid cancers, according to institute officials.
It was inaugurated on Tuesday at a scientific seminar organised jointly by the NINMAS Research Cell and its Ultrasound and Colour Doppler Division.
The seminar, titled “Beyond Conventional Ultrasound: Elastoscan and Fat Quantification with High Resolution Ultrasound”, focused on the technology’s use in liver and thyroid diagnosis.
NINMAS Director and Bangladesh Thyroid Society President AKM Fazlul Bari said around 33 percent of people in Bangladesh have fatty liver, while about 16 percent suffer from chronic liver disease and liver cancer, and 2 percent from thyroid cancer.
He said the new machine can quantify liver fat and use elastoscan technology to assess fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Its 33MHz ultra-high-resolution probe can also provide detailed imaging of the skin, hair follicles, nails, tissues beneath the skin and the lymphatic system, Bari said.
Anup Kumar Kundu presented a scientific paper on liver elastography at the seminar, while Johanna Ong spoke on ultra-high-resolution thyroid elastography and fat quantification.
Doctors and scientists from NINMAS and BMU also attended the event.
Liver Transplant Plans
Separately, State Minister for Health MA Muhit told parliament on Sept 6 that five types of equipment had already arrived at the National Institute of Gastroliver Diseases and Hospital as part of preparations to begin liver transplants.
He said another 10 types of equipment were expected by the end of September.
Muhit said it would take around two more months to install the equipment and prepare the relevant medical team.
“We expect to be able to establish sustainable liver transplant facilities in Bangladesh by the end of this year, or at the latest by early next year,” he said.
