Shear-wave elastographic imaging in choroidal melanomas: clinical and hemodynamic correlations

Area of Science:

• Ophthalmology
• Medical Imaging
• Biophysics

Background:

• Uveal melanoma diagnosis and characterization are crucial for treatment planning.
• Quantitative biomechanical properties of uveal melanoma are not well-established.
• Shear wave elastography imaging (SWEΙ) offers a non-invasive method to assess tissue stiffness.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the role of SWEΙ in assessing uveal melanomas.
• To investigate the association between SWEΙ findings and clinical/hemodynamic parameters in uveal melanoma.

Main Methods:

• Prospective study of 12 uveal melanoma patients undergoing brachytherapy.
• B-mode, hemodynamic, and SWEΙ ultrasonography were performed.
• SWEΙ scores (kPa) were compared between tumor, choroid, and orbital fat; correlations with intra-tumoral resistivity index (RI) and tumor height were analyzed.

Main Results:

• Tumor stiffness (TS) was significantly higher than adjacent choroid (CS) and orbital fat (FS) (p=0.003, p=0.006).
• TS significantly correlated with intra-tumoral RI (r=0.681, p=0.015) and maximal tumor height (r=0.620, p=0.031).

Conclusions:

• SWEΙ is a valuable quantitative biomechanical marker for choroidal melanoma assessment.
• Choroidal melanomas exhibit greater stiffness compared to adjacent choroid and orbital fat.
• Increased tumor stiffness, as measured by SWEΙ, is associated with higher RI and tumor height.