Keywords:
Breast, Ultrasound physics, Ultrasound, Elastography, Equipment, Tissue characterisation, Cancer, Image verification
Authors:
D. Sieron, D. T. Knap; Katowice/PL
DOI:
10.1594/ecr2013/C-2411
Methods and Materials
The research group consisted of 42 female patients from Silesia Province in whom during the MMG and USG examinations,
a suspicious lesion was found.
The selected patients were subjected to a MMG examination in MLO and CC projections,
as well as to an USG examination.
Lesions that were detected in patients during imaging were verified in a 2D,
DOPPLER and elastographic examinations.
Elastographic examination is based on a physical phenomenon described by Thomas Young,
who developed the theory of the transverse elasticity modulus.
Elastography is relatively new imaging technique; therefore,
its implementation is restricted to the selected organs.
At present,
elastography is used mainly to assess lesions in breast,
prostate,
thyroid,
lymph nodes or liver.
The examinations were carried out using EUB-7500 HV HITACHI device equipped with Hitachi Real-Time Tissue Elastography application mapping in colors the assessment of changes in tissue elasticity.
The red-yellow color means predominant soft tissue (Fig.1.),
yellow-green means mixed hard/soft tissue (Fig.2.),
and predominant blue means the hard area (Fig.
3).
During the examination consisting in a 1-3 mm deep mechanical pressure on the tissue in elastography option,
we examined the strain of the examined tissue in terms of elasticity,
the strain of the tumor and that of the healthy tissue.
The examined area was presented in visual color scale.
Each of the suspicious lesions were subjected to a biopsy and histopathologically verified.