Is sonoelastography a helpful method of evaluation to diagnose Sjögren's syndrome?

Abstract Objective A new sonoelastography technique – virtual touch tissue quantification of acoustic radiation force impulses ( ARFI ) – offers a promising method for measuring tissue rigidity. The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of ARFI for diagnosing Sjögren's syndrome ( SS ). Methods This transversal prospective study included 41 patients with SS according to American‐European Consensus Group ( AECG ) criteria, and a control group without symptoms. All subjects underwent ARFI high‐resolution ultrasound assessment of the parotid glands ( PG ) and submandibular glands ( SMG ). Results In patients with SS , parotid gland shear wave velocity ( SWV ) was 2.08 m/s ± 0.55, significantly higher than in control subjects (1.2 m/s ± 0.17) ( P = 0.0001); submandibular gland SWV was higher in SS patients (2.12 m/s ± 0.44) than control subjects (1.56 m/s ± 0.16) ( P = 0.001). Conclusions Acoustic radiation force impulses sonoelastography can assist diagnosis of SS , and is a non‐invasive and fast method of detecting pathological changes to the parotid and submandibular glands.