Objective To explore elastic change in thyroid tissue by using virtual touch tissue quantification(VTQ) in the different clinical course of Hashimoto's thyroiditis(HT). Methods 153 patients with HT who were clinically and serological diagnosed and were retrospectively analyzed. 50 cases were in normal control group According to the characteristics of HT two-dimensional ultrasound images, the patients were divided into focal type (type I),nodular type (type II), diffuse echo reduction type (type III), and diffuse echo enhancement type (type IV) corresponding to early period, advanced period, active period and recovery period in the clinical course of HT. The change of the shear wave velocity(SWV) in thyroid tissue by VTQ in the process of HT was measured. Results The ultrasonic image types of HT included focal type(type I) in 35 cases, nodular type(type II) in 59 cases, diffuse echo reduction(type III) in 27 cases and diffuse echo enhancement(type IV) in32 cases. The difference about SWV is statistically significant between normal control group and HT（P＜0.05）.The differences about SWV are statistically significant between the different type in HT except type II and III（P＜0.05）. The SWV in HT was rising higher gradually from type I to type II and III, and descending gradually in the process of the type IV. Conclusion there was a significant change of the tissue elastic in the process of HT. The hardness of the Thyroid tissue was ascending gradually when the inflammation in HT was aggravated and was descending when the inflammation faded.