Breast elastography techniques break new ground

H. A. Abella

Two new ultrasound elastography techniques show promise for the diagnosis and characterization of breast lesions, according to researchers from France and Korea. They could complement standard gray-scale sonography, evaluate suspicious microcalcifications detected with conventional mammography, and do away with unnecessary, painful needle biopsies.

Dr. Alexandra Athanasiu from the Institut Curie in Paris released preliminary results of "supersonic shear wave" sonoelastography for the characterization of breast lesions at the ECR in Vienna Friday. The technique combines the "palpation" effect of the ultrasound beam with a fast imaging sequence that produces a quantitative measurement of tissue elasticity in real time.

source: Diagnostic Imaging