title: Ultrasound elastographic techniques in focal liver lesions.
abstract: Elastographic techniques are new ultrasound-based imaging techniques developed to estimate tissue deformability/stiffness. Several ultrasound elastographic approaches have been developed, such as static elastography, transient elastography and acoustic radiation force imaging methods, which include point shear wave and shear wave imaging elastography. The application of these methods in clinical practice aims at estimating the mechanical tissues properties. One of the main settings for the application of these tools has been liver stiffness assessment in chronic liver disease, which has been studied mainly using transient elastography. Another field of application for these techniques is the assessment of focal lesions, detected by ultrasound in organs such as pancreas, prostate, breast, thyroid, lymph nodes. Considering the frequency and importance of the detection of focal liver lesions through routine ultrasound, some studies have also aimed to assess the role that elestography can play in studying the stiffness of different types of liver lesions, in order to predict their nature and thus offer valuable non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of liver masses.
authors.affiliation: Clara Benedetta Conti, Federica Cavalcoli, Mirella Fraquelli, Dario Conte, Sara Massironi, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Clara Benedetta
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Conti
authors.affiliation: Clara Benedetta Conti, Federica Cavalcoli, Mirella Fraquelli, Dario Conte, Sara Massironi, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Federica
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cavalcoli
authors.affiliation: Clara Benedetta Conti, Federica Cavalcoli, Mirella Fraquelli, Dario Conte, Sara Massironi, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Mirella
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fraquelli
authors.affiliation: Clara Benedetta Conti, Federica Cavalcoli, Mirella Fraquelli, Dario Conte, Sara Massironi, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Dario
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Conte
authors.affiliation: Clara Benedetta Conti, Federica Cavalcoli, Mirella Fraquelli, Dario Conte, Sara Massironi, Gastroenterology and Endoscopy Unit, Fondazione IRCCS Ca' Granda, Ospedale Maggiore Policlinico, 20122 Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Massironi
mesh_terms: D004548:Elasticity; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis
keywords: Acoustic radiation force imaging; Elastographic techniques; Focal liver lesions; Shear wave imaging; Transient elastography