Ultrasound Elastography Pattern of lung squamous cell carcinoma: Preliminary report on a possible adjunctive tool for noninvasive imaging.

e18518 Background: Trans-Thoracic Ultrasound (TUS) guided Fine Needle Aspiration Biopsy (FNAB) provides a rapid and affordable method of diagnosing and staging lung cancer. It allows safe and easy access to sub-pleural masses. A total of 70% of pleural surface is accessible by TUS, and pulmonary processes, including masses, are visualized when they come up to pleura or are accessible via a sound window (e.g. pleural effusion or atelectasis), provided that no subcutaneous emphysema or pneumothorax is present. US Elastography is a novel approach useful to estimate the stiffness/elasticity of tissues. It is already a valuable tool for the definition of nodules (thyroid, breast, prostate cancer). The aim of our study was to assess if TUS Elastography of concurrent FNAB-proven lung cancer could be of help for a preliminary histological diagnosis. Methods: TUS with Elastography and FNAB after chest x-ray and CT-scan were performed in 57 patients (m 44, f 13; years 64,63±5,96). Tissue stiffness of the subpleural...