EUS with numbers

▶ Iglesias-Garcia J, Larino-Noia J, Abdulkader I et al. Quantitative endoscopic ultrasound elastography: an accurate method for the differentiation of solid pancreatic masses. Gastroenterology Published Online First: 2 July 2010. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2010.06.059.

Elastography is an ultrasound technique that has been used for a number of years in transcutaneous ultrasound particularly breast, thyroid and prostate. Elastography provides a real time index of tissue elasticity usually presented graphically as a colour overlay (different colours corresponding to different tissue elasticity) on the conventional image. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) elastography has recently become commercially available and there has been considerable interest in its utility to differentiate between malignant and inflammatory pancreatic masses, a challenge to all other imaging modalities including conventional EUS. Previous studies of qualitative EUS elastography have shown high sensitivity and specificity but have been limited by the subjective nature of the analysis. The present study is the first to report on the use of integral software for real-time quantitative elastography. A high end ultrasound platform with the commercially available real-time elastography module installed was used. Eighty-six consecutive patients with solid pancreatic masses who presented for EUS during the study period underwent EUS elastography. Twenty individuals undergoing EUS for extra-pancreatic indications formed the control …