Breast elastography is a new sonographic imaging technique which provides information on breast lesions in addition to conventional ultrasonography (US) and mammography. Elastography provides a noninvasive evaluation of the stiffness of a lesion. Today, two technical solutions are available for clinical use: strain elastography and shear wave elastography. Initial evaluations of these techniques in clinical trials suggest that they may substantially improve the possibility of differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions thereby limiting recourse to biopsy and considerably reducing the number of benign breast biopsy diagnoses. This article reviews the basics of this technique, how to perform the examination, image interpretation and the results of major clinical studies. Although elastography is easy to perform, training and technical knowledge are required in order to obtain images permitting a correct interpretation. This paper will highlight the technique and point out common pitfalls.
Breast elastography is a new sonographic imaging technique which provides information on breast lesions in addition to conventional ultrasonography (US) and mammography. Elastography provides a noninvasive evaluation of the stiffness of a lesion. Today, two technical solutions are available for clinical use: strain elastography and shear wave elastography. Initial evaluations of these techniques in clinical trials suggest that they may substantially improve the possibility of differentiating benign from malignant breast lesions thereby limiting recourse to biopsy and considerably reducing the number of benign breast biopsy diagnoses. This article reviews the basics of this technique, how to perform the examination, image interpretation and the results of major clinical studies. Although elastography is easy to perform, training and technical knowledge are required in order to obtain images permitting a correct interpretation. This paper will highlight the technique and point out common pitfalls.
SommarioL’elastosonografia mammaria è una nuova tecnica di imaging a ultrasuoni che fornisce informazioni aggiuntive sulle lesioni della mammella rispetto all’ecografia e alla mammografia. Consente una valutazione non invasiva della rigidità tessutale di una lesione. Sono attualmente disponibili due soluzioni tecniche per uso clinico: l’elastografia con strain e l’elastografia shear wave. I primi studi clinici di valutazione di queste tecniche suggeriscono che esse possano migliorare la caratterizzazione delle lesioni mammarie differenziando quelle benigne dalle maligne e riducendo in modo sostanziale il numero di biopsie per lesioni benigne. Questo articolo rivisita le basi tecniche, i criteri interpretativi delle immagini, i principali studi clinici e le possibili cause di errore. Per quanto l’elastosonografia sia di facile esecuzione, richiede tuttavia un training e delle conoscenze tecniche adeguate per ottenere immagini correttamente interpretabili.
Keywords: Breast elastography; Breast lesions; Sonoelastography.