[Equipment-independent ultrasound tissue characterization of testis and prostate]

Radiologe. 1998 May;38(5):424-33. doi: 10.1007/s001170050376.
[Article in German]

Abstract

The result of a B-scan ultrasound examination is strongly dependent on the type of the used B-system, the chosen system parameters and the experience and critical analysis of the clinical investigator. The estimation of quantitative acoustic parameters, independent of the type of the used B-system, is one way to overcome the subjective nature and the problems of the interpretation of B-scan images. A procedure was developed to determine acoustical tissue specific parameters (ultrasound attenuation, relative backscatter coefficient) in terms of the ultrasound spectroscopy and to correct the system effects. A requirement for the calculation of acoustical parameters is the availability of primary rf echo signals without any preprocessing. Up to now measurements of phantom materials and in-vivo investigations on human testis and prostate have been carried out. The effects of pathological changes in the tissue state on the acoustical parameters are demonstrated in some examples.

MeSH terms

  • Artifacts
  • Computer Systems
  • Equipment Design
  • Humans
  • Image Processing, Computer-Assisted / instrumentation*
  • Male
  • Prostate / diagnostic imaging*
  • Prostatic Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Sensitivity and Specificity
  • Testicular Neoplasms / diagnostic imaging*
  • Testis / diagnostic imaging*
  • Ultrasonography / instrumentation*