title: Evaluation of cervical cancer detection with acoustic radiation force impulse ultrasound imaging.
abstract: The aim of this study was to evaluate the application of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) ultrasound imaging and its potential value in the characterization of cervical cancer. ARFI ultrasound imaging of the uterine cervix was performed in 58 patients with cervical cancer prior to surgery. The diagnosis of cervical cancer was confirmed by pathological results in each case. eSie Touch elastography imaging (EI), Virtual Touch tissue imaging (VTI) and Virtual Touch tissue quantification (VTQ; Siemens Medical Solutions, Mountain View, CA, USA) were used to qualitatively and quantitatively analyze the elasticity and hardness of lesions. For statistical analysis, the non-parametric Mann-Whitney U test and the Student's u test were used to compare the elastic parameters and the results. EI showed that, compared with the surrounding cervical tissue, 72.41% (42 of 58) of the malignant lesions showed 4th or 5th grade images and 27.59% (16 of 58) had 3rd grade images. The EI images showed a significant difference between the malignant lesions and the surrounding normal tissues (P<0.001). VTI showed that compared with the surrounding cervical tissue, 84.48% (49 of 58) of the malignant lesions were stiffer than the surrounding tissues and 15.52% (9 of 58) had black and white honeycomb-like images. The VTI images showed a significant difference between the malignant lesions and normal cervical tissues (P<0.001). The surrounding normal tissues had lower VTQ values, with a mean of 2.11±1.19 m/sec, while the VTQ values in malignant lesions were higher than the surrounding normal tissues (3.41±1.59 m/sec, P<0.001). ARFI ultrasound imaging of the uterine cervix may be an objective method for the assessment of soft tissues. It has high sensitivity and specificity in the evaluation of cervical cancer and therefore has good diagnostic value in clinical applications.
authors.affiliation: Departments of Ultrasound, Shanghai First People's Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiaotong University, Shanghai 200080, P.R. China.
authors.forename: Yijin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Lianfang
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: DU
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xuemei
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xiao
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Jia
authors.forename: Yingyu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cai
authors.forename: Yunhua
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Liu
keywords: acoustic radiation force impulse; cervical cancer; diagnosis