title: Evaluation of ultrasound based acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and eSie touch sonoelastography for diagnosis of inflammatory pancreatic diseases.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Pathology changes the consistency of the tissues.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To prospectively assess the accuracy of per-abdominal US elastography in the form of acoustic radiation force impulse--virtual touch tissue quantification (ARFI-VTQ) and eSie touch elasticity imaging in characterizing and differentiating inflammatory pancreatic diseases.
  
  
  METHODS
  One-hundred and 66 patients from among the patients that visited the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, Hyderabad, India, during the period April 2009 to December 2010, for master health check-up, blood donation and those with pancreatic pathology.
  
  
  METHODS
  Based on the clinical symptomatic criteria and diagnostic imaging findings, the patients were divided into normal, chronic and acute, or acute resolving, pancreatitis group.
  
  
  METHODS
  The ultrasound based ARFI-VTQ and eSie touch elasticity imaging techniques were applied.
  
  
  METHODS
  Prospective single-center study.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean ARFI-VTQ values were 1.28 m/s, 1.25 m/s and 3.28 m/s for the normal, chronic and acute pancreas, respectively. The eSie touch gray scale and color elastograms were light gray and purple-greenish, respectively for both normal and chronic pancreas, while for acute pancreas the elastograms were dark black on the gray scale and orange to red on color scale.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the ARFI-VTQ and eSie touch elasticity imaging techniques may be successfully adopted in order to diagnose acute pancreatitis, to assess extent of inflammation (whether focal or diffuse), to assess peripancreatic edema, to identify presence of necrotic areas and early pseudocyst formation, to early diagnose acute recurrent attacks and to monitor patient's response to treatment.
authors.affiliation: Asian Institute of Gastroenterology, 6-3- 661 Somajiguda, Hyderabad 500082, India. drmateen@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Mohammad Abdul
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Mateen
authors.forename: Khan A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Muheet
authors.forename: Ramchandani J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Mohan
authors.forename: Poplapally N
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Hussain M K
authors.initials: HM
authors.lastname: Majaz
authors.forename: Guduru V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Rao
authors.forename: Duvvur N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Reddy
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D050500:Pancreatitis, Chronic / Q000175:diagnosis*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D055815:Young Adult