title: Differences of standard values of Supersonic shear imaging and ARFI technique - in vivo study of testicular tissue.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the difference of standard values of Supersonic shear imaging (SSI) and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technique in the evaluation of testicular tissue stiffness in vivo.
  
  
  METHODS
  58 healthy male testes were examined using B-mode sonography and ARFI and SSI. B-mode sonography was performed in order to scan the testis for pathologies followed by performance of real-time elastography in three predefined areas (upper pole, central portion and lower pole) using the SuperSonic® Aixplorer ultrasound device (SuperSonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France). Afterwards a second assessment of the same testicular regions by elastography followed using the ARFI technique of the Siemens Acuson 2000™ ultrasound device (Siemens Health Care, Germany). Values of shear wave velocity were described in m/s. Parameters of elastography techniques were compared using paired sample t-test.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The values of SSI were all significantly higher in all measured areas compared to ARFI (p < 0.001 to p = 0.015). Quantitatively there was a higher mean SSI wave velocity value of 1,1 compared to 0.8 m/s measured by ARFI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SSI values are significantly higher than ARFI values when measuring the stiffness of testicular tissue and should only be compared with caution.
authors: Department of Urology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus, Munich, Germany.
authors: M
authors: M
authors: Trottmann
authors: Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus, Munich, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Rübenthaler
authors: Department of Urology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus, Munich, Germany.
authors: J
authors: J
authors: Marcon
authors: Department of Urology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus, Munich, Germany.
authors: C G
authors: CG
authors: Stief
authors: Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus, Munich, Germany.
authors: M F
authors: MF
authors: Reiser
authors: Department of Clinical Radiology, Ludwig-Maximilians-University of Munich-Grosshadern Campus, Munich, Germany.
authors: D A
authors: DA
authors: Clevert
mesh_terms: D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D064368:Healthy Volunteers; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011877:Radionuclide Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D013737:Testis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*
keywords: Testis; shear-wave elastography; ultrasonography