Visualization of the shear wave on gray-scale ultrasound: experience with a complex breast cyst

Abstract

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is the newer of the two methods of measuring tissue stiffness using ultrasound. We present the case of a 39-year-old patient with fibrocystic breast disease who presented with a left painful breast lump. The patient underwent a breast ultrasound that depicted a complicated cyst with a “pseudo-solid” content. When the SWE mode was turned on, the ultrasound share wave was observed on the gray-scale image, as surface undulations of the “pseudo-solid” component. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of the share wave visualization on a gray-scale image. The impact on patient management is discussed.