Ultrasound elastography assessment of skin involvement in systemic sclerosis: lights and shadows
Iagnocco A, Kaloudi O, Perella C et al.
The skin is one of the main organs involved in systemic sclerosis (SSc), which is characterized by reduced dermal elasticity owing to the deposition of collagen. Ultrasound elastography (UE) is a novel technique for assessing tissue elasticity using conventional real-time ultrasound equipment with modified software. Briefly, with the combined autocorrelation method, echo signals are recorded during freehand compression and relaxation. Signals are converted into images of colored bands, where the red end of the scale indicates soft, highly elastic tissue and the blue end of the spectrum represents hard tissue with poor elasticity. This non-invasive technique has been widely used in oncology to detect malignant lesions of the breast, thyroid, and prostate. This is the first published assessment of the role of UE in assessing skin involvement in patients with SSc.