title: A Preliminary Investigation of Normal Pancreas and Acute Pancreatitis Elasticity Using Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification (VTQ) Imaging.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to prospectively evaluate the use of elastometry in healthy volunteers and patients with acute pancreatitis using virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ) imaging technology performed on the pancreas.
  
  
  METHODS
  We enrolled 210 healthy volunteers and 44 acute pancreatitis patients in the study between March 2012 and June 2013. Healthy subjects were divided into 3 groups: young (18-30 years), middle-aged (30-50 years), and elderly (>50 years). VTQ was performed on the pancreatic head and body regions to obtain shear wave velocity (SWV) measurements, which were used to evaluate the elasticity values of tissues.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The pancreatic head SWV value in the whole healthy group was 1.18±0.23 m/s, and that in the pancreatic body was 1.21±0.20 m/s. In patients with acute pancreatitis, the mean SWV measurements at the head were 1.18±0.20 m/s, compared to 1.25±0.19 m/s in the pancreatic body. There was no statistically significant difference between whole healthy volunteers and the acute pancreatitis group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VTQ is a new method that shows promise for the quantification of pancreatic elasticity, but further studies are warranted.
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Juan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.affiliation: Department of Health Statistics, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Liling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zou
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Minghua
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Guang
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Lixia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Huixiong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Ultrasound in Medicine, Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital, Tongji University School of Medicine, Shanghai, Zhabei, China (mainland).
authors.forename: Rong
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D004548:Elasticity / Q000502:physiology*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D010179:Pancreas / Q000502:physiology*; D010195:Pancreatitis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*