A Comparison Study of Conventional Ultrasound and Ultrasound Strain Elastography in the Evaluation of Myopathy

The aim of this study was to compare ultrasound strain elastography (USE) with conventional ultrasonography echogenicity (EL) in detecting muscle pathology. For conventional ultrasonography, biceps EL was obtained. For USE, elasticity index (EI) of biceps was represented as a range, from 0 (softest) to 6 (hardest). Muscle-to-fats elasticity ratio compared EI of muscle with that of surrounding fats. Color distribution of elastogram was analyzed using open-source ImageJ software showing % red, % green, and % blue within a region of interest. Increased biceps EL, decreased biceps EI, and elasticity ratio were observed in patients with myopathy. In the color elastogram, there is no significant difference in % green between healthy control and patient, but significance was observed in % red and % blue (P < 0.001). Utilization of USE parameters has increased sensitivity up to 100% compared with 63% with conventional US. It is a promising adjunct for the clinical diagnosis of myopathy.