EP31.09: The potential role of transvaginal shear wave elastography in pre‐ and postoperative assessment in patients with deep infiltrative endometriosis: a report of 11 cases

To evaluate what shear wave elastography can add to the pre- and postoperative 2D grayscale ultrasound (US) assessment in patients with deep infiltrative endometriosis. This prospective study included 11 patients (their mean (±SD) age was 33.9 (±6.7) years) scheduled for laparoscopic operations. Five of them had uterosacral endometriosis, 6 - rectosigmoid endometriotic nodules. Endometriomas were also present in 5 cases. The assessment was performed using Aixplorer (SuperSonic Imagine, France) equipped with a transvaginal convex probe. The data was collected first on the basis of 2D grayscale US (size, shape borders and echogenicity of lesion or postoperative region), and then using shear wave elastography (quantitative stiffness assessment using Young's modulus mean values from 3 different points in lesion or postoperative region). The 2D transvaginal US showed a 24±6 mm (SD) hypoechogenic, heterogeneous lesions with irregular shape borders in preoperative period, and 22±12 mm in postoperative. Preoperative Young's modulus were 124.8±40.8 kPa (mean), 42.7±11.9 kPa (min) and 284.1±23.6 kPa (max), and postoperative Young's modulus were 74.9±25.7 kPa (mean), 14.5±6.5 kPa (min) and 81.7±16.9 kPa (max). Our pilot data suggest that the addition of shear wave elastography imaging to conventional US could be helpful in the detection of preoperative lesion and characterisation of postoperative region. This may help to differentiate tissue stiffness in cases when we observe similar echogenicity and size of the region of interest in pre- and postoperative period. A larger study is needed to confirm whether Young's modulus values before and after operation are statistically significant. Please note: The publisher is not responsible for the content or functionality of any supporting information supplied by the authors. Any queries (other than missing content) should be directed to the corresponding author for the article.