title: Ultrasound elastography - review of techniques and its clinical applications.
abstract: Sonoelastography is a modern ultrasound method, which enables the representation of tissues and organs with the evaluation of their elasticity, "stiffness". The principle of elastography is to use repeated, slight pressure on the examined organ with the ultrasound transducer. Changes in elasticity and deformation of tissues arising whilst the compression is processed and presented in real time with color-coded maps, is called elastograms. The method is applicable mainly in diagnosing malignant lesions. Tumor tissues have different elasticity and undergo different deformations under pressure than healthy tissues. As a result of computer analysis, images in various colors are generated. Based on the nature of areas of normal and increased stiffness classifications of the images in point scales have been developed. Ultrasound devices equipped with sonoelastography option enable more accurate imaging and evaluation of the nature of lesions situated at small depth, e.g. breast, thyroid, testicles, prostate, some groups of lymph nodes. They increase the accuracy of ultrasound in diagnostics and the evaluation of the stage of malignant lesions. This also helps to indicate more precisely the areas that require the biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Urszula
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Zaleska-Dorobisz
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Krzysztof
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kaczorowski
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Aleksander
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pawluś
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Agata
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Puchalska
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Wroclaw Medical University, Poland.
authors.forename: Marcin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Inglot
mesh_terms: D001941:Breast Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008198:Lymph Nodes / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008297:Male; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D013959:Thyroid Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging