First results of a pilot study to generate normal reference values for shearwave elastography of the pancreas using Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Virtual Touch Tissue Quantific…

Purpose: The early recognition of changes in the pancreatic parenchyma plays an important role in the diagnosis of pancreatic disorders. The newly developed ultrasound technique of shearwave elastography or Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification (ARFI-VTTQ) visualizes and quantifies tissue elasticity and superimposes findings on conventional B-scan images. Objective of the present study was to establish normal values for the ARFI-VTTQ method in healthy subjects. Material and methods: ARFI-VTTQ was used in a pilot study of 90 healthy volunteers (63.3% females; 36.7% males; mean age 3…