Hybrid Elastography: A New Technique for the Assessment of Tissue Stiffness

Vibration-Controlled Transient Elastography (VCTE) is a clinically well validated method to assess Liver Stiffness (LS) using FibroScan (Echosens, Paris, France). The operator relies on ultrasound (U/S) A-and M-mode images to locate the liver. Finding a good measurement window is key to get a good penetration of the Shear Wave (SW) and therefore a valid LS measurement. However, relying only on U/S may be suboptimal to identify the right measurement position. We developed a new technique called Hybrid Elastography (HE) that combines monochromatic and transient elastography, respectively to assist the operator finding an optimal measurement position and to perform the measurement.