Siemens advances ultrasound elasticity imaging
10 July 2007 Siemens have developed real-time elasticity imaging using
freehand compression on the Acuson Antares system. Ultrasound elasticity
imaging gives a different image to conventional ultrasound, showing
variation in stiffness within the area of the conventional image. Fat is
less stiff than parenchyma and muscle, and many benign lesions are less
stiff than cancers.
Recent work has shown that cancers tend to appear larger in a strain
(elasticity) image than in the typical ultrasound greyscale image, whilst
benign lesions tend to appear smaller in the strain image than in the
greyscale image.
Early results of initial studies suggest that it may be possible to
significantly reduce the biopsy rate of benign breast lesions. Other work
suggests that elasticity imaging may add to the accuracy of ultrasound
determined tumour extent as it can demonstrate areas of tumour-related
stiffness in adjacent tissue to the greyscale abnormality.
A
presentation on the topic was given at the UK Radiological Congress by the
Dr William Svensson, Consultant Radiologist and Honorary Clinical Senior
Lecturer.
Tina Hodgson, Siemens Business Manager for GI Ultrasound, said: “We had good
feedback after Dr Svensson’s presentation with a number of delegates
affirming the huge potential of this unique technology”.
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