ASSESSMENT OF ECHOGENICITY

Kerry Thoirs DMU MMed Rad AMS, Benson Radiology, SA, University of South Australia

Abstract
In everyday clinical practice sonologists and sonographers alike refer to the echogenicity of tissues that are demonstrated on sonographic images. Echogenicity is a non-specific tool we use to describe the sonographic appearance of an organ such as the liver and kidney, or to describe the appearance of a lesion within an organ. We use echogenicity along with other descriptors such as size, shape, border appearances, posterior acoustic enhancement, acoustic shadowing, and colour and spectral Doppler appearances. Other more sophisticated techniques such as radiofrequency analysis, real-time back scatter imaging, assessment of frequency change in tissue, and velocity attenuation are not available on regular, clinical equipment, and the implications from published studies using these techniques may not be readily transferred to clinical situations. Is there value in using echogenicity as a tissue characterisation technique?

Citation
Thoirs K, Assessment of echogenicity. ASUM Bulletin 2003.2:23-27.