title: Sonoelastography for qualitative and quantitative evaluation of superficial soft tissue lesions: a feasibility study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the feasibility of qualitative and quantitative analysis using sonoelastography (SE) for differentiating between benign and malignant superficial soft-tissue lesions.
  
  
  METHODS
  For this prospective study, 32 patients with superficial soft-tissue lesions detected with grey-scale ultrasound and colour and/or power Doppler ultrasound were evaluated between October 2011 and December 2012. Qualitative analysis: visual grading system was adopted according to colour variation (red-soft, green-medium, blue-hard). Quantitative analysis: median and fraction area of each colour were computed within a region of interest. Differences between fraction areas and median values in compression and decompression phases were calculated. Reference standard: histological findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Twelve out of 32 lesions (37.5%) were malignant. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was 0.989 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.980-0.994, P < 0.01) with optimal reliability. Area under the curve was 0.823 (95% CI 0.677-0.969) and 0.958 (95% CI 0.989-1.019) for blue and blue area differences, and 0.777 (95% CI 0.615-0.939) and 0.629 (95% CI 0.426-0.833) for red and red area differences, respectively. Blue variations predicted malignancy more accurately (variation ≥0.431: 100% sensitivity, 80% specificity); the blue area difference was highly accurate.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Preliminary results showed good correlations between SE and reference standards. SE could be useful in the evaluation of superficial soft tissue lesions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  • Sonoelastography helps clarify ambiguous soft-tissue lesions identified using conventional ultrasound techniques. • Addition of this tool increases the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound. • Sonoelastography provides both qualitative and quantitative analysis. • Sonoelastography may help clinicians improve patient care.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiological Sciences, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, School of Medicine, "Policlinico A. Gemelli" Largo A. Gemelli 8, Rome, Italy, nicola.magarelli@rm.unicatt.it.
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Magarelli
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Carducci
authors.forename: Costanza
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Bucalo
authors.forename: Laura
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Filograna
authors.forename: Santi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Rapisarda
authors.forename: Chiara
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: De Waure
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Dell'Atti
authors.forename: Giulio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Maccauro
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Leone
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bonomo
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006801:Humans; D008067:Lipoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D009140:Musculoskeletal Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009442:Neurilemmoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012015:Reference Standards; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012509:Sarcoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D016037:Single-Blind Method; D012983:Soft Tissue Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D055815:Young Adult