Ultrasound Elastography in the Diagnosis and Management of Uterine Pathologies: A Systematic Review

Bigardi S, Sofia Bigardi, Orazio De Tommasi, Tommasi O, Tripepi M, Marta Tripepi, Facchetti E, Emma Facchetti, Matteo Marchetti, Noventa M, Marco Noventa, Carlo Saccardi, Roberto Tozzi, Spagnol G, Giulia Spagnol
Journal of clinical medicine · 2026 · vol. 15(12) , pp. 4468 · doi:10.3390/jcm15124468 · PMID:42355637 · W7164133734
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Ultrasound elastography showed increased stiffness in adenomyosis, fibroids, malignant cervical lesions, and endometrial carcinoma compared to normal tissue, but study heterogeneity limits reproducible diagnostic thresholds.

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Abstract

Background/Objectives: Ultrasound elastography (UE) is a non-invasive imaging technique that evaluates tissue stiffness and may complement conventional ultrasound in the assessment of uterine diseases. This systematic review aimed to summarize the current evidence on the role of strain elastography (SE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) in the diagnosis and management of benign and malignant uterine pathologies. Methods: A systematic literature search of MEDLINE (PubMed) and Embase was performed to identify studies published between January 2018 and February 2026. Original studies evaluating UE in adenomyosis, uterine fibroids, cervical lesions, and endometrial pathologies were included. Data were qualitatively synthesized according to pathology type and elastographic technique. Results: Twenty studies met the inclusion criteria. In benign myometrial disorders, adenomyosis and uterine fibroids generally showed higher stiffness than normal myometrium, although differentiation between these entities was not always consistent across studies. In cervical disease, malignant and high-grade lesions typically demonstrated increased stiffness compared with benign or low-grade lesions. In endometrial pathology, endometrial carcinoma was generally associated with higher stiffness values than benign lesions and elastography also showed potential in assessing myometrial invasion. Across studies, UE demonstrated promising diagnostic performance, but substantial heterogeneity was observed in acquisition methods, parameters, and reported thresholds. Conclusions: UE appears to be a promising adjunct to conventional ultrasound for the evaluation of uterine pathologies. However, further standardized, large-scale studies are needed to define reproducible protocols and clinically applicable diagnostic thresholds.

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