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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