Elastographic

Elastographic refers to elastography, a family of imaging techniques that assess tissue elasticity. Elastographic imaging creates maps of tissue stiffness by measuring how tissues respond to mechanical stress. Because many diseases alter stiffness, elastographic data can aid in diagnosis, staging, and treatment planning across multiple organ systems.

Principles and methods: Ultrasound elastography uses ultrasound-driven stress or shear waves. Strain elastography estimates relative stiffness from tissue deformation, while shear-wave elastography measures shear-wave speed to quantify stiffness in kilopascals. Transient elastography is a dedicated ultrasound method. Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) uses MR to measure wave propagation in tissue and produces quantitative stiffness maps.

Clinical applications: Liver fibrosis staging is the most common use. Other applications include characterizing breast lesions, evaluating thyroid nodules, and assessing pancreatic fibrosis. Elastography is often used as a noninvasive adjunct to conventional imaging and, when needed, can influence biopsy decisions or treatment planning.

Limitations: Stiffness is not disease-specific; acute inflammation, congestion, and technical factors can affect results. Obesity, gas in the bowel, and patient movement can reduce accuracy, particularly for ultrasound methods. Values and thresholds vary by technique and organ; interpretation requires clinical context.

Research and outlook: Efforts focus on standardization, cross-vendor comparability, and extending elastography to additional organs and real-time interventional applications.