Factors influencing breast elasticity measured by the ultrasound Shear Wave elastography – preliminary results

Abstract

IntroductionMany physiological changes of breast elasticity depend on the age, hormonal status, menstrual cycle and many others. The aim of this study was to evaluate viscoelastic properties of normal breast tissues in a large group of women and to search for factors which play a role in its mechanical properties.Material and methods101 women aged 18-74 years who underwent B-mode sonography and additionally sonoelastography. We measured viscoelasticity in 8 quadrants by a share wave ultrasonic device estimating Young modules in regions of interest.ResultsMean elasticity measured in all 8 scans in glandular and fatty tissue were 11.28 ±5.79 kPa (0.1-46.26 kPa) and 9.24 ±4.48 kPa (0.1-29.78 kPa), respectively. The correlation between age and mean elasticity of glandular tissue was Rs = 0.27 (p = 0.007). The correlation between glandular tissue elasticity heterogeneity and breast mastalgia measured by VAS was Rs = –0.23 (p = 0.241). Fat tissue elasticity correlated with duration of lactation was Rs = 0.21 (p = 0.01).ConclusionsThere are several parameters influencing breast viscoelasticity measured by share wave sonoelastography. Glandular tissue elasticity correlates positively with age, fatty tissue elasticity correlates positively with duration of lactation and heterogeneity of the elasticity map of glandular tissue correlates with breast pain and fat tissue with BMI.

Changes in the elasticity of fibroadenoma during the menstrual cycle determined by real-time sonoelastography

“…Rzymski et al reported a correlation between age and the elasticity of glandular tissue, and found no correlations with the age of first pregnancy or gravidity and parity [22]. Recently, Wojcinski et al reported significant differences in elasticity values of the breast parenchyma determined in the premenstrual and postmenstrual phases of the menstrual cycle [24].…”

“…We did not encounter no such blind areas in our study group because of the benign features of lesions. Lesion depth and size, breast tissue density, histopathological features of cancer (e.g., necrotic areas, stage), type of cancer (mucinous or medullary) and some benign conditions (e.g., fat necrosis, radial or surgical scars, peri-abscess inflammation) have been suggested to be possible reasons of false SWE features [22,23,26]. In addition, age, menstrual cycle, and hormone profile of the patient, which play roles in metabolism in the breast tissue, have also been suggested to be factors that may affect the elasticity of breast tissue [22,24,25].…”

“…SWE provides quantitative data thought to represent the intrinsic elastic features of the target tissue. Age, stage of the menstrual cycle, hormone levels, pregnancy, and lactation, all factors that affect the breast parenchyma, may also affect the elastic features of the breast and its lesions [20][21][22][23]. In the present study, we investigated the changes in the elasticity of fibroadenomas to determine the optimal time during the menstrual cycle for imaging to avoid false-positive findings of borderline SWE features.…”

Shear wave elastography parameters of normal soft tissues of the neck

“…The mean values of stiffness of a healthy liver, glandular, and fatty tissue of the breast as measured in healthy volunteers were 4.64 ± 1.18 kPa 17 , 11.3 ± 5.3 kPa, and 9.2 ± 4.5 kPa, respectively 18 . The mean values in the prostate were 4.1 ± 0.8 kPa and 9.9 ± 0.9 kPa in the peripheral and central zones, respectively 10 .…”

Nondiseased Liver Stiffness Measured by Shear Wave Elastography

“…The clinical application of shear wave elastography has already been evaluated in the diagnosis of breast cancer, [20][21][22][23] measurement of muscular stiffness, 24 and characterization of thyroid nodules. 25 As with these clinical applications, hepatic elastography is a promising technique for diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis.…”