A comparison of ultrasonic backscatter measured in vivo and in vitro

Since ultrasonic backscatter is intimately related to the echogenicity of a biological tissue in an ultrasonic image, it has been studied by many investigators in vitro. In the present study, an effort has been made to determine whether in vitro data can be extrapolated to in vivo situations. Ultrasonic backscatter collected from exposed organs in vivo on dogs was compared with that collected from tissues immediately following excision and up to 8 hours thereafter. It is shown that the in vivo and in vitro data do not differ significantly if the organs are properly prepared and stored.>