Shear wave elastography of the bowel of patients with Crohn's disease

Purpose: In recent years several papers have been published investigating the use of shear wave elastography of the bowel on operation specimens or on laboratory animals with models simulating Crohn's disease. These studies indicate that shear wave elastography can be used to quantify the degree of fibrosis in the bowel. No clinical trials using transabdominal shear wave elastography have been published. The aim of this study was to examine if shear wave elastography can be used to measure the stiffness of the bowel wall during a clinical ultrasound examination. Material and methods: Fifteen patients with Crohn'…