Clinical applications of sonoelastography

ABSTRACT

Introduction: This review provides an overview of the current and potential clinical applications of sonoelastography, and describes the central principles that provide clinical applications.

Areas covered: The clinical use of sonoelastography that is reviewed includes liver fibrosis, breast mass evaluation, thyroid nodule evaluation, detection and quantification of head/neck lymphedema. Other topics discussed include application for tendens, prostate, and salivary gland. A systematic literature search was done using PubMed database and the results were grouped according to the clinical applications.

Expert commentary: This review highlights the clinical application of sonoelastography for breast, thyroid, and lymph nodes as well as the evaluation of lymphedema.

KEYWORDS:

• Sonoelastography
• breast masses
• liver fibrosis
• thyroid masses
• prostate masses
• cervical evaluation
• skin cancer
• lymphedema
• tendinopathy

Declaration of interest

The authors have no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

Additional information

Funding

This paper was not funded.