The comparison between methods, evaluation of portal hypertension and many other questions are still open issues in liver elastography. New elastographic applications are under evaluation and close to being used in clinical practice. Strain imaging has been incorporated into many disciplines and EFSUMB guidelines are under preparation. More research is necessary for improved evidence for clinical applications in daily practice. The Special Issue published papers on recent advances in development and application of Ultrasound Elastography.

Elastography, the science of creating noninvasive images of mechanical characteristics of tissues, has been rapidly evolving in recent years. The advantage of this technique resides in the ability to rapidly detect and quantify the changes in the stiffness of soft tissues resulting from specific pathological or physiological processes. Ultrasound elastography is nowadays applied especially on the liver and breast, but the technique has been increasingly used for other tissues including the thyroid, lymph nodes, spleen, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, kidney, prostate, and the musculoskeletal and vascular systems. This book presents some of the applications of strain and shear-wave ultrasound elastography in hepatic, pancreatic, breast, and musculoskeletal conditions.

Ultrasound Elastography for Biomedical Applications and Medicine Ivan Z. Nenadic, Matthew W. Urban, James F. Greenleaf, Mayo Clinic Ultrasound Research Laboratory, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, USA Jean-Luc Gennisson, Miguel Bernal, Mickael Tanter, Institut Langevin – Ondes et Images, ESPCI ParisTech CNRS, France Covers all major developments and techniques of Ultrasound Elastography and biomedical applications The field of ultrasound elastography has developed various techniques with the potential to diagnose and track the progression of diseases such as breast and thyroid cancer, liver and kidney fibrosis, congestive heart failure, and atherosclerosis. Having emerged in the last decade, ultrasound elastography is a medical imaging modality that can noninvasively measure and map the elastic and viscous properties of soft tissues. Ultrasound Elastography for Biomedical Applications and Medicine covers the basic physics of ultrasound wave propagation and the interaction of ultrasound with various media. The book introduces tissue elastography, covers the history of the field, details the various methods that have been developed by research groups across the world, and describes its novel applications, particularly in shear wave elastography. Key features: Covers all major developments and techniques of ultrasound elastography and biomedical applications. Contributions from the pioneers of the field secure the most complete coverage of ultrasound elastography available. The book is essential reading for researchers and engineers working in ultrasound and elastography, as well as biomedical engineering students and those working in the field of biomechanics.

This is the first comprehensive book on the new elastographic techniques discussing the early assessment of liver fibrosis. The book covers all aspects of measuring liver stiffness starting from the methodology, the molecular basis of liver stiffness elevation up to current clinical algorithms and interpretation. Future directions and novel implications that go beyond diagnosis but are relevant for understanding of liver cirrhosis per se are also discussed in detail. Liver Elastography, is an essential companion for hepatologists and gastroenterologists that provides an overview of its basic principles and gives a detailed account of how to use elastrography in clinical practice.

This practical guide is a compilation of firsthand expertise from leading authorities around the world on the use of ultrasound elastography. The stiffness or softness of the imaged tissue derived from elastography provides accurate radiologic diagnosis for disease processes including cancer, inflammation, and fibrosis. It is an efficacious and accurate diagnostic imaging modality that helps avoid invasive biopsies. The first two chapters cover basic fundamental principles of elastography, with subsequent chapters exploring pathology-specific utilization. The authors cover the extensively validated and implemented use of elastography for diffuse liver disease, and diseases of the breast andthyroid gland. They also discuss the potential benefits and limitations for the prostate, spleen, pancreas, kidneys, musculoskeletal system, salivary glands, lymph nodes, and testes. The book concludes with a chapter on potential future applications of this ever-evolving technology. Key Highlights Discussion of key differences between strain elastography and shear wave elastography by individual organ systems Clinical pearls on how to accurately perform elastography and tips for avoiding false-positive or false-negative results Case studies elucidate the targeted use of elastographic findings by specific pathology Illustrations in the breast and liver chapters demonstrate precise transducer techniques MRI elastography as an emerging and safe assessment tool, primarily for the diagnosis of liver disease, with emergent potential for additional organs This book provides key knowledge on visualizing quantifiable differences in tissue elasticity and applying this data to improved treatment strategies for diverse pathologies. It is essential reading for radiologists, sonographers, and imaging technicians.

This volume explores the main applications of elastographic techniques in hepatological and gastroenterological diseases, and elaborates on the use of these diagnostic techniques in a broad range of clinical settings; in this regard, it provides a clear critical methodological approach to the correct indication, taking into account the existing diagnostic pathways, the actual diagnostic accuracy of elastographic techniques, and their impact on clinical practice in terms of correct positioning of the test in the diagnostic pathway and clinical outcomes improvement. In the first chapters, which focus on the correct methodology for Diagnostic Accuracy Assessment of non -invasive techniques, the architecture of diagnostic research is discussed. In turn, the following sections describe a broad range of clinical applications in hepatology and gastroenterology. The closing section presents a number of case studies on practical issues, together with a critical discussion on how to promote the appropriate use of these technologies. Given its scope, the book will be of interest to specialists, post-graduate medical students, and researchers in the fields of hepatology and gastroenterology.

The first book to cover the groundbreaking development and clinical applications of Magnetic Resonance Elastography, this book is essential for all practitioners interested in this revolutionary diagnostic modality. The book is divided into three sections. The first covers the history of MRE. The second covers technique and clinical applications of MRE in the liver with respect to fibrosis, liver masses, and other diseases. Case descriptions are presented to give the reader a hands-on approach. The final section presents the techniques, sequence and preliminary results of applications in other areas of the body including muscle, brain, lung, heart, and breast.