Cañas Teresa, Suárez Olga, Rozas Isabel, Escribano Marta, Albi Gustavo, Azorín Daniel, Maciá Araceli
Radiology Department, Hospital Infantil Universitario Niño Jesús, Avenida de Menéndez Pelayo 65, 28009, Madrid, Spain.
Pathology Department, Hospital Universiatio Niño Jesús, Madrid, Spain.
Pediatr Radiol. 2025 Apr 30. doi: 10.1007/s00247-025-06234-1.
Sonoelastography, also known as elastography, is a novel noninvasive imaging technique conducted using ultrasound equipment and used to indirectly evaluate tissue stiffness by measuring the speed of transverse wave propagation, or shear wave velocity, through the target tissue. Elastography is useful in diagnosing malignant lesions, which are stiffer than healthy tissue due to their high cell density.
The aim of this study was to assess the ability of elastography to differentiate between benign and malignant cervical lymph nodes.
Over a period of 2.5 years, we prospectively assessed the cervical lymph nodes of pediatric patients who visited the ultrasound department of our institution. In the course of a single procedure, participants underwent B-mode and color Doppler ultrasonography and point shear wave elastography (pSWE) of the cervical lymph nodes. The participants were divided into three groups: control (I), reactive lymph nodes (II), and malignant lymph nodes (III). A histological examination was performed in all patients with suspected malignancy, and mean shear wave velocity was compared across the three study groups.
Significant differences in elastography measurements were found between the lymph nodes in group I (control group) and group III (malignant lymph nodes) (P<0.0001) and between group II (reactive nodes) and group III (malignant nodes) (P<0.0001). Lymph nodes from patients in group III had higher elastography values than those in groups I and II.
pSWE is useful in measuring cervical lymph node stiffness, showing promising results in distinguishing between benign/reactive and malignant nodes.
超声弹性成像，也称为弹性成像，是一种使用超声设备进行的新型无创成像技术，通过测量横波传播速度或剪切波速度穿过目标组织来间接评估组织硬度。弹性成像在诊断恶性病变方面很有用，恶性病变由于细胞密度高而比健康组织更硬。
本研究的目的是评估弹性成像区分良性和恶性颈部淋巴结的能力。
在2.5年的时间里，我们前瞻性地评估了到我院超声科就诊的儿科患者的颈部淋巴结。在一次检查过程中，参与者接受了颈部淋巴结的B超、彩色多普勒超声检查和点剪切波弹性成像（pSWE）。参与者被分为三组：对照组（I）、反应性淋巴结组（II）和恶性淋巴结组（III）。对所有疑似恶性肿瘤的患者进行了组织学检查，并比较了三个研究组的平均剪切波速度。
I组（对照组）和III组（恶性淋巴结组）之间以及II组（反应性淋巴结组）和III组（恶性淋巴结组）之间在弹性成像测量上存在显著差异（P<0.0001）。III组患者的淋巴结弹性成像值高于I组和II组。
pSWE有助于测量颈部淋巴结硬度，在区分良性/反应性和恶性淋巴结方面显示出有前景的结果。
