Preliminary Results on the Feasibility of Using ARFI/SWEI to Assess Cutaneous Sclerotic Diseases
Seung Yun Lee, Adela R Cardones, Joshua Doherty, Kathryn Nightingale, Mark Palmeri, Seung Yun Lee, Adela R Cardones, Joshua Doherty, Kathryn Nightingale, Mark Palmeri
Abstract
In this study, acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and shear wave elasticity imaging (SWEI) were applied to the skin to investigate the feasibility of their use in assessing sclerotic skin diseases. Our motivation was to develop a non-invasive imaging technology with real-time feedback of sclerotic skin disease diagnosis. This paper shows representative results from an ongoing study, recruiting patients with and without sclerosis. The stiffness of the imaged site was evaluated using two metrics: mean ARFI displacement magnitude and bulk shear wave speed inside the region of interest (ROI). In a subject with localized graft versus host disease (GVHD), the mean ARFI displacement inside sclerotic skin was 61% lower (p < 0.01) and shear wave speed 128% higher (p < 0.005) compared to those in normal skin-indicating stiffer mechanical properties in the sclerotic skin. This trend persisted through disease types. We conclude ARFI and SWEI can successfully differentiate sclerotic lesions from normal dermis.
Keywords: Acoustic radiation force; Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging; Cutaneous sclerotic diseases; Shear wave speed.
Copyright © 2015 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
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Source: PubMed