Aims and objectives
Evaluation of the feasibility of Real-time Fusion Imaging between liver stiffness measurements,
performed with Ultrasound (US) point Shear Wave Elastography (pSWE) and MRI imaging for diagnosis,
follow up and virtual biopsy.
pSWE delivers a quantitative measure of tissue stiffness (expressed in Shear Wave propagation velocity or deduced Young Modulus in KPa) for a small tissue sample.
pSWE is based on a perturbation and a reading phase.
Non-invasive methods such as pSWE can now be used instead of or in conjunction with liver biopsy in patients...
Methods and materials
Three male patients underwent 1.5 Tesla liver MRI.
Real-time image fusion of US and MRI data modalities was performed by an US system (MyLab Twice,
Esaote S.p.A.
Italy),
equipped with a dedicated Virtual Navigator Fusion Imaging tool and QElaXto pSWE technology (Esaote S.p.A.,
Genova,
Italy).
An abdominal multimodality phantom (Model 057 - CIRS - Computerized Imaging Reference Systems Inc.,
Norfolk,
Virginia,
USA),
was used regarding real-time fusion imaging and virtual biopsy.
Fusion Imaging
MRI data were transferred in DICOM format to the US system query/retrieving...
Results
3 tests were performed on real-time fusion imaging between US,
pSWE and MRI in vivo,
using Automatic Registration algorithm.
6 tests were performed in vitro on the Abdominal multimodality phantom,
regarding real-time Fusion Imaging and Virtual Biopsy.
In all the tests it was possible to perform the US-MRI real-time fusion imaging with automatic target saving of the performed pSWE measurements.
The virtual biopsy test was performed using the mimicking-lesions present in the phantom with the needle guidance; the insertion phase was performed without the US...
Conclusion
Real-time fusion imaging between US and MRI scans of pSWE measurements,
with automatic indication of measurement location,
is feasible.
Virtual biopsy can be performed in the location where the pSWE measurement was performed,
using the automatic target as reference.
This method may be particularly useful in the follow-up of liver diseases,
improving the confidence in terms of measurement location and for guiding liver biopsy with higher confidence.
References
[1] Mauri G,
Cova L,
De Beni S,
Ierace T,
Tondolo T,
Cerri A,
Goldberg SN,
Solbiati L.,
“Real-Time US-CT/MRI Image Fusion for Guidance of Thermal Ablation of Liver Tumors Undetectable with US: Results in 295 Cases”,
Cardiovasc Intervent Radiol.
2014 May 8
[2] Enzo Di Mauro,
Marco Solbiati,
Stefano De Beni,
Leonardo Forzoni,
Sara D’Onofrio,
Luigi Solbiati,
“Virtual Navigator Real-Time Ultrasound Fusion Imaging with Positron Emission Tomography for Liver Interventions”,
35th Annual International Conference of the IEEE EMBS Osaka,
Japan,
3 - 7 July,...