Discriminate potential of VTIQ between malignant tumor and benign salivary gland tumor by propagation velocity and tissue elasticity image

Abstract

Discriminate potential of VTIQ between malignant tumor and benign salivary gland tumor by propagation Virtual touch tissue imaging quantification （VTIQ） is an elastography technique that measures the tissue elasticity quantitatively as the propagation velocity （Vs） of shear waves and displays tissue elasticity images. We analyzed the histological relationship of 51 salivary gland tumors whose VTIQ was measured and pathologi-cally diagnosed from 2016 to 2019 at Fukushima Medical University Hospital. There were 11 malignant tumors, 21 benign tumors with pleomorphic adenoma, and 19 other benign tumors, and Vs and tissue elasticity images were compared among the three groups. Vs of 4.8m/s or higher was 45％ overall, 91％ for malignant tumors, 55％ for pleomorphic adenomas, and 0％ for other benign tumors. Vs for pleomorphic adenomas had a large range and was difficult to distinguish from that for malignant tumors. The tissue elasticity images of each tumor were classified into four types: 91％ of malignant tumors and 10％ of pleomorphic adenomas were the homogeneous type or geographic type, and 9％ of malignant tumors and 67％ of pleomorphic adenomas were the mottled type. Although it was difficult to discriminate by Vs, it may be possible to discriminate between malignant tumors and pleomorphic adenomas by tissue elasticity images.