Abstract

Since the beginning of medicine, palpation has been the primary semiologic method used to detect abnormalities during clinical examination. The mechanical properties of soft tissues are usually related to changes in stiffness. However, changes in stiffness and echogenicity of soft tissues are not always correlated. Elastography has emerged in the last decade as a new method that, when used in association with ultrasonography, can provide information about the acoustic properties (echogenicity and texture) and mechanical attributes (stiffness) of a region of interest in a specific tissue. The objective of this article is to review the literature on the physical principles of elastography and to describe several features of the elastographic imaging process to provide a better understanding of this new technique and its potential utilization in the veterinary field.

Key words: Ultrasonography, elastography, shear wave, stiffness, tumor.