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Review
. 2019 Dec;36(6):667-672.
doi: 10.5114/ada.2018.77069. Epub 2018 Jul 10.

Ultrasonographic elastography in the evaluation of normal and pathological skin - a review

Marcin Ambroziak  1 , Piotr Pietruski  2 , Bartłomiej Noszczyk  2 , Łukasz Paluch  3
Affiliations
Review

Ultrasonographic elastography in the evaluation of normal and pathological skin - a review

Marcin Ambroziak et al. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2019 Dec.

Abstract

The aim of this review article is to discuss the role of ultrasonographic elastography, a technique used to quantify tissue stiffness, in the evaluation of normal and pathological skin. A growing body of evidence suggests that elastography may be used for the diagnosis and monitoring of skin pathologies, in particular tumors, and fibrotic and sclerotic processes. Our knowledge about the elastographic parameters of normal skin is sparse, which together with the lack of reference values for cutaneous stiffness constitutes a serious limitation to the use of elastography in some medical disciplines, including aesthetic medicine.

Keywords: aesthetic medicine; elasticity; elastography; strain; ultrasonography.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
A tumor of the forehead in strain elastography (SE) compared to B-mode ultrasound. The tumor is visible as a stiffer lesion (blue) compared to surrounding tissues (green)
Figure 2
Figure 2
Tissues of forehead in strain elastography SE (A) and shear wave elastography SWE (B)
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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