• Ruiqian Guo, Xi Xiang, Liyun Wang, Bihui Zhu, Shan Cheng, and Li Qiu.
• Department of Medical Ultrasound, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu, Sichuan, China.
• Ultrasound Med Biol. 2020 May 1; 46 (5): 1169-1178.

AbstractThis study was aimed at investigating the value of shear wave elastography (SWE) in quantitative evaluation of keloids. A total of 87 patients with 139 keloids were enrolled. Vancouver scar scale (VSS) scores were recorded. Thickness and blood flow grade were evaluated using high-frequency ultrasound. Skin stiffness (mean speed of shear wave, Cmean) was evaluated using SWE in both transverse and longitudinal sections. All measurements were performed in both keloids and site-matched unaffected skin (normal controls). The reliability of measurements was evaluated using intra- and inter-class correlation coefficients by two observers. Inter- and intra-observer repeatability was excellent (correlation coefficient > 0.99, p < 0.01). The SWE results revealed a significant increase in Cmean in keloids (p < 0.001) compared with the normal controls. Cmean in the longitudinal section was greater than that in the transverse section for keloids (p < 0.001). Cmean was highly positively correlated with VSS score (r = 0.904, p < 0.001), moderately positively correlated with thickness (r = 0.490, p < 0.001) and less positively correlated with blood flow (r = 0.231, p < 0.01). This non-invasive, tolerable and convenient imaging technique could be an effective tool for objectively evaluating keloid stiffness in the future, thus laying a foundation for the treatment and evaluation of keloids.Copyright © 2020 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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