Quantitative ultrasonography

A perspective on quantitative techniques in diagnostic ultrasound is presented. The method involves the use of multiple tissue characterization features, pattern recognition methods, and imaging techniques to extract diagnostic information beyond that available with conventional imaging techniques. The information that each acoustic property and characterization feature reveals about physical properties of the tissues is discussed, and examples of clinical and laboratory data are summarized. The emphasis is on features that describe the composition, microscopic structure, and flow characteristics of normal and diseased soft tissues.