Real-time sonoelastography - a new application in the field of liver disease.

Ultrasound elastography is a new imaging technique that allows a noninvasive estimation and imaging of tissue elasticity distribution within biological tissues using conventional real-time ultrasound equipment with modified software. Elastography has been reported to be useful for differentiation and characterization of various malignant tumors, such as breast, prostate, thyroid, pancreas, lymph nodes, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, hepatocellular carcinoma and liver metastasis. Transient and, more recently, real-time elastography has been proved to be useful for noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with diffuse liver diseases. Elasticity imaging promises to make an important contribution to ultrasound practice.