Ultrasound Elastography – Implications in the Head and Neck Region.

Ultrasound elastography (USE) is a method to assess the mechanical properties of tissue, by applying stress and detecting tissue displacement using ultrasound.1 It is based on the principle that malignant tissues are harder than the nonmalignant tissues. While histopathology is a gold standard, USE is a noninvasive method for differentiating benign and malignant lesions in multiple organs. Ultrasonography is used widely as diagnostic means because it is cost-effective, easy to use, and provides information of high resolution. However, no single ultrasound criterion has sufficient diagnostic accuracy and has limited sensitivity or specificity. The aim of this review is to provide an overview on the uses of USE in the head and neck region.