Elastografische

Elastografische refers to techniques used to measure the mechanical properties of biological tissues, primarily their elasticity or stiffness. This medical imaging modality is non-invasive and provides functional information about tissue, complementing traditional anatomical imaging methods like ultrasound, CT, or MRI. The principle behind elastography is that different tissues possess different elastic moduli. For example, diseased or cancerous tissues are often stiffer than surrounding healthy tissues. Elastographic methods apply a mechanical stress or strain to the tissue and then measure the resulting deformation. This deformation is then used to create a map of tissue stiffness, often displayed as a color-coded overlay on a standard anatomical image.

Several elastographic techniques exist, with ultrasound elastography and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) being the most prominent. Ultrasound elastography uses acoustic radiation force or external compression to induce strain and measures the displacement. MRE utilizes low-frequency mechanical waves propagated through the tissue, with MRI detecting the wave motion. These techniques have found applications in various medical fields, including the assessment of liver fibrosis, breast lesion characterization, thyroid nodule evaluation, and prostate cancer detection. By quantifying tissue stiffness, elastography can aid in diagnosis, staging, and monitoring of diseases, potentially reducing the need for invasive biopsies in certain cases.