ShearWave™ Elastography A new real time imaging mode for assessing quantitatively soft tissue viscoelasticity

ShearWavetrade Elastography (SWE) is a new real time ultrasound imaging mode that quantitatively measures local tissue elasticity in kPa. Based on the Supersonic Shear Imaging concept (developed at the Laboratoire Ondes et Acoustique, Paris), this new concept may appear as a promising tool to improve breast lesion characterization. In vitro experimental measurements have been performed to quantify SWE mode performances in terms of resolution, penetration and the ability to measure quantitatively elasticity. Results show that the SWE mode exhibits a millimetric resolution and quantifies properly tissue elasticity on a wide range of elastic contrasts (from 7 to 110 kPa). The real time capabilities and the robustness of the mode have been tested in clinical conditions, on breast lesions. 150 patients have been scanned with SWE mode in three different sites. Results show that SWE performs well on breast pathologies and presents a very good inter-site reproducibility. Finally, the quantitative elasticity value was analyzed as a function of pathology using FNA or core biopsy as the reference diagnostic method.