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Imaging of Tissue Elasticity in Gastrointestinal Disorders

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Ultrasound of the Gastrointestinal Tract

Part of the book series: Medical Radiology ((Med Radiol Diagn Imaging))

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Abstract

Elastography or strain imaging are ultrasonographic methods which detect the elasticity or stiffness of a tissue providing a visual display. The basis of every strain imaging technique is to measure tissue deformation caused by an external stimulus. The derivative of the tissue displacement is called strain, and can be calculated by cross-correlating the radio-frequency data before and after compression. The strain value in each point is color-coded and displayed in an elastogram. This elastogram can then be combined with the B-mode image to display the elastic properties of the tissue to the examiner through color information. Equipment using a quasi-static method of producing strain in the tissue through external compression with the US probe is now commercially available for clinical application. The quasi-static application of elastography of the small intestine represents special difficulties, as the pressure from the US transducer can cause several changes. When adding pressure, one not only deforms the GI wall, but also displaces the luminal content and the intestine itself. With refined technology and adapted transducers, sonoelastography may become an important imaging modality to supplement B-mode ultrasonography for the assessment of gastrointestinal diseases.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Dr. Jo Erling R. Waage for allowing us to include the images of Endorectal utrasound scanning with real-Time Elastography.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Medicine, University of Bergen and National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Jonas Lies vei 65, 5021, Bergen, Norway

    Roald Flesland Havre & Odd Helge Gilja

Authors
  1. Roald Flesland Havre
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  2. Odd Helge Gilja
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Correspondence to Roald Flesland Havre .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dipto. Gastroenterologia, Università Milano-Bicocca Ospedale Luigi Sacco, Milano, Italy

    Giovanni Maconi

  2. Centro Diagnostico Italiano, Milan, Italy

    Gabriele Bianchi Porro

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© 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Havre, R.F., Gilja, O.H. (2013). Imaging of Tissue Elasticity in Gastrointestinal Disorders. In: Maconi, G., Bianchi Porro, G. (eds) Ultrasound of the Gastrointestinal Tract. Medical Radiology(). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2013_799

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/174_2013_799

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-31982-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-31983-9

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