Analysis of Two Quantitative Ultrasound Approaches

Ultrason Imaging. 2018 Mar;40(2):84-96. doi: 10.1177/0161734617729159. Epub 2017 Sep 25.

Abstract

There are two well-known ultrasonic approaches to extract sets of quantitative parameters: Lizzi-Feleppa (LF) parameters: slope, intercept, and midband; and quantitative ultrasound (QUS)-derived parameters: effective scatterer diameter (ESD) and effective acoustic concentration (EAC). In this study, the relation between the LF and QUS-derived parameters is studied theoretically and experimentally on ex vivo mouse livers. As expected from the theory, LF slope is correlated to ESD ([Formula: see text]), and from experimental data, LF midband is correlated to EAC ([Formula: see text]). However, LF intercept is not correlated to ESD ([Formula: see text]) nor EAC ([Formula: see text]). The unexpected correlation observed between LF slope and EAC ([Formula: see text]) results likely from the high correlation between ESD and EAC due to the inversion process. For a liver fat percentage estimation, an important potential medical application, the parameters presenting the better correlation are EAC ([Formula: see text]) and LF midband ([Formula: see text]).

Keywords: Lizzi–Feleppa parameters; QUS parameters; mouse livers; quantitative ultrasound technique.

Publication types

  • Evaluation Study
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Disease Models, Animal
  • Evaluation Studies as Topic
  • Fatty Liver / diagnostic imaging*
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging*
  • Mice
  • Mice, Inbred C57BL
  • Ultrasonography / methods*