title: Real-time elastography of hepatic thermal lesions in vitro: histopathological correlation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the reliability of elastography, a new ultrasonographic method, for delineating thermal lesion boundaries in porcine liver tissue by comparing lesion dimensions determined by real-time elastography with the findings at gross pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 15 thermal lesions with diameters ranging from 17 to 60 mm were created using radiofrequency ablation (RFA). Color-coded elastography was performed by one experienced examiner, using a 6 - 15 MHz high frequency linear transducer (LOGIQ E9, GE). Lesions were examined using B-mode and real-time elastography (RTE). Lesion detection, delineation and size were assessed using B-mode and RTE immediately after each thermal ablation ( < 5 min). Measurements of the sections representing the same image plane used for elastography were taken during pathologic examination and compared to the measurements obtained from the elastograms.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In our sample a statistically significant correlation in vitro between RTE and pathological measurements with respect to the lesion's principal axis and area (r2 = 0.9338 long axis, r2 = 0.8998 short axis and r2 = 0.9676 area) was found. Overall, elastography slightly underestimated the lesion size, as judged by the digitalized pathologic images.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results support that RTE outperforms conventional B-mode ultrasound and could potentially be used for the routine assessment of thermal therapies.
authors.affiliation: Institut für Röntgendiagnostik, Klinikum der Universität Regensburg, Germany. philipp.wiggermann@klinik.uniregensburg.de
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wiggermann
authors.forename: E-M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Glöckner
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Hoffstetter
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Uller
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vasilj
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Schreyer
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Stroszczynski
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017115:Catheter Ablation; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D013552:Swine