Quantitative echography: attenuation estimation and clinical applications

Using a short-time Fourier analysis, the authors estimate in vivo the frequency dependence of ultrasound attenuation in the echocardiography mode. This parameter is introduced as a global quantitative index for tissue characterization. In the first clinical application on muscle, correlation with nuclear magnetic resonance allows correlation of increased attenuation with pathological fatty infiltration. In the second clinical study, the crosscorrelation matrix between attenuation and physiological parameters affecting the breast shows a correlation between attenuation and the time since puberty. Ultrasound attenuation appears then as a useful parameter modified by pathological and physiological parameters.<>