[Quantitative methods in sonography].

Area of Science:

• Radiology and Medical Imaging
• Biophysics
• Ultrasound Technology

Background:

• B-mode and color Doppler ultrasound are standard radiological methods for quantifying tissue echo texture and perfusion.
• Tissue microstructure and composition affect echo texture and acoustic parameters (speed of sound, attenuation, backscatter).
• Hemodynamics in vessels influence quantitative color Doppler parameters.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the capabilities of various ultrasound techniques in assessing tissue microstructure and perfusion.
• To highlight the clinical applicability and robustness of advanced ultrasound methods.

Main Methods:

• B-mode texture analysis
• High-frequency echo signal analysis
• Quantitative color Doppler image analysis
• Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound (DCE-US)
• Ultrasound elastography

Main Results:

• B-mode texture analysis, high-frequency echo analysis, and quantitative color Doppler analysis can assess tissue microstructure but are complex for clinical implementation.
• Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound effectively quantifies tissue perfusion.
• Ultrasound elastography reliably assesses tissue stiffness.
• DCE-US and ultrasound elastography are proven robust in clinical settings.

Conclusions:

• While advanced texture and Doppler analyses offer microstructural insights, they face clinical complexity barriers.
• Dynamic contrast-enhanced ultrasound and ultrasound elastography are established, robust clinical tools for evaluating tissue perfusion and stiffness, respectively.