Performance of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse imaging for the staging of liver fibrosis: a pooled meta-analysis

Evaluation of Ovaries in Patients with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome using Shear Wave Elastography

BACKGROUND

Shear wave electrography (SWE) is a novel non-invasive imaging technique which demonstrate tissue elasticity. Recent research evaluating the elasticity properties of normal and pathological tissues emphasize the diagnostic importance of this technique.

AIMS

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), which is characterized by menstrual irregularity, hyperandrogenism, and polycystic overgrowth, may cause infertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the elasticity of ovaries in patients with PCOS using SWE.

METHODS

66 patients diagnosed with PCOS according to the Rotterdam criteria (PCOS = group I) and 72 patients with non-PCOS (Control = group II), were included in the study. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were recorded. Ovarian elasticity was assessed in all patients with SWE, and speed values were obtained from the ovaries. The elasticity of the ovaries was compared between the two groups.

RESULTS

While there were statistically significant differences between the groups in body mass index (BMI), right and left ovarian volumes, luteinizing hormone and testosterone levels (p<0.05), no significant differences were found between groups I and II in the velocity (for the right ovary 3.89±1.81 vs. 2.93±0.72, p=0.301; for the left ovary 2.88±0.65 vs. 2.95±0.80, p=0.577) and elastography (for the right ovary 36.62±17.78 vs. 36.79±14.32, p=0.3952; for the left ovary 36.56±14.15 vs. 36.26±15.10, p=0.903) values, respectively.

CONCLUSION

We could not obtain different velocity and elastography values from the ovaries of the patients with PCOS using SWE. Therefore, further large-scale studies are needed to elucidate this issue.

What does liver elastography measure? Technical aspects and methodology

Elastography can be thought as an extension of the ancient technique of palpation. After giving a short introduction to the history of elastography, the different technologies that are nowadays available and the physics behind them, the article focuses on the assessment of liver stiffness in patients with diffuse liver disease using shear wave elastography (SWE). Practical advices on how to perform the SWE techniques and on the factors that should be considered for a correct interpretation of the results are given. This paper aimed to provide a practical guide for beginners and advanced clinical users to better understand technical aspects, methodologies and terminology.

Brazilian Society of Hepatology and Brazilian College of Radiology practice guidance for the use of elastography in liver diseases

In 2015 the European Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (EASL) and the Asociación Latinoamericana para el Estudio del Hígado (ALEH) published a guideline for the use of non-invasive markers of liver disease. At that time, this guideline focused on the available data regarding ultrasonic-related elastography methods. Since then, much has been published, including new data about XL probe use in transient elastography, magnetic resonance elastography, and non-invasive liver steatosis evaluation. In order to draw evidence-based guidance concerning the use of elastography for non-invasive assessment of fibrosis and steatosis in different chronic liver diseases, the Brazilian Society of Hepatology (SBH) and the Brazilian College of Radiology (CBR) sponsored a single-topic meeting on October 4th, 2019, at São Paulo, Brazil. The aim was to establish specific recommendations regarding the use of imaging-related non-invasive technology to diagnose liver fibrosis and steatosis based on the discussion of evidence-based topics by an organizing committee of experts. It was submitted online to all SBH and CBR members. The present document is the final version of the manuscript that supports the use of this new technology as an alternative to liver biopsy.

Measurements of Serum Mac-2-Binding Protein Glycosylation Isomer and Shear Wave Velocity in Health Checkups Are Useful in Screening for Non-Alcoholic Steatohepatitis

Liver-related mortality rates in patients with non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) increase with advancing liver fibrosis stage. The present study aimed to elucidate whether adding non-invasive liver fibrosis tests to a comprehensive health checkup system is useful for NASH screening. Both serum Mac-2-binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) and point shear wave elastography (pSWE) using ultrasonography were performed for 483 health checkup subjects who consented to participate in this prospective study. Outcomes in positive subjects were surveyed 1 year later. Eighty-eight subjects (18%) showed positive results for at least one liver fibrosis test, with 63 subjects positive for pSWE, 33 subjects positive for M2BPGi, and 72 subjects showing no significant elevation of liver enzymes. The secondary consultation rate for positive subjects was 52% (46/88). However, as 15 of those 46 subjects visited a non-liver-specialist and could not undergo detailed examination, the secondary examination rate was only 35% (31/88). For the 31 subjects who received secondary examination, NASH was diagnosed in 14 subjects, other chronic liver disease (CLD) in 6 subjects, and no CLD in 11 subjects. Additional liver fibrosis tests using M2BPGi and pSWE appear useful in health checkups when screening for CLD, especially for NASH.

Quantitative Evaluation of Neonatal Brain Elasticity Using Shear Wave Elastography

OBJECTIVES

To demonstrate the feasibility of 2-dimensional brain ultrasound shear wave elastography (SWE) and to define the average elasticity values of the gray and white matter in term neonates.

METHODS

This work was a prospective observational single-center study including 55 healthy term neonates consecutively recruited in the maternity ward between the second and third postnatal days. All were successfully evaluated with a cerebral SWE examination performed with a multifrequency 4-9-MHz transducer. Bilateral sagittal planes of the thalamus and corona radiata were used to measure stiffness using a quantitative SWE method. Several elastograms with 5 to 15 nonoverlapping areas were obtained from the 2 different anatomic locations. The 5 most central measurements were averaged as representative values.

RESULTS

The 55 neonates ranged from 37 to 40 weeks' gestation. The estimated mean velocity values of the thalamus (1.17 m/s; 95% confidence interval, 1.13, 1.22 m/s) and corona radiata (1.60 m/s; 95% confidence interval, 1.57, 1.64 m/s) were statistically different (P < .001). There was no significant influence of laterality, gestational age, cephalic perimeter, sex, length, or type of delivery on the stiffness measurements.

CONCLUSIONS

Brain ultrasound SWE is feasible and allows measurements of neonatal brain elasticity. The elasticity of the thalamus and corona radiata at the frontal white matter in healthy term neonates is different. The knowledge of normal SWE ranges in term neonates allows comparative studies under pathologic conditions.

Approaches to the Diagnosis of Portal Hypertension: Non-Invasive or Invasive Tests?

Portal hypertension is the main driver of complications in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) and is defined by values of hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement (HVPG) >5 mmHg. Values of HVPG ≥10 mmHg determine the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), the main predictor of the risk of variceal bleeding, hepatic decompensation, and mortality. However, its measurement is invasive and requires high expertise, so its routine use outside third level centers or clinical trials is limited. In the last decades, several non-invasive tests (NITs) have been developed and validated for the diagnosis of portal hypertension. Among these, liver (LSM) and spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) are the most promising tools available, as they have been proven accurate to predict CSPH, high-risk esophageal varices, decompensation, and mortality in patients with ACLD. In the last Baveno VI Consensus proceedings, LSM evaluation was recommended for the first time for diagnosis of CSPH (LSM >20-25 kPa) and the screening of patients with a low probability of having high-risk varices (LSM <20 kPa and platelet count >150.000/mm³). In this review, we aimed to summarize the growing evidence supporting the use of non-invasive tests for the evaluation of portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease.

Methotrexate does not increase the risk of liver fibrosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis: assessment by ultrasound elastography (ARFI-MetRA study)

OBJECTIVES

Only limited data are available on the risk of liver fibrosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis on long-term methotrexate treatment. To assess the risk of liver fibrosis in patients with rheumatoid arthritis treated with methotrexate, non-invasive, ultrasound-based elastography [acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging] was applied.

METHODS

In total, 119 patients were assessed using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging between July 2018 and April 2019. In a cross-sectional, single-centre study design, ARFI scores were compared between patient subgroups with (n = 65) and without (n = 54) methotrexate exposure. The main outcome variable was the mean fibrosis score as measured by the ARFI method. The mean shear wave velocity was calculated from 10 valid ARFI measurements for each patient. Inferential statistical analyses (between group) were performed using ANOVA for independent samples in the case of continuous outcome variables.

RESULTS

Sixty-five patients with and fifty-four patients without MTX exposure were assessed using the ARFI elastography method. Participating patients on MTX medication (1.113 m/s) showed ARFI scores that were comparable to those of participants without MTX exposure (1.062 m/s); P = 0.228. The mean cumulative dose in the group of MTX-exposed patients was 3602 mg.

CONCLUSION

The mean value of the repeated determination of liver density using ARFI imaging did not differ significantly between the MTX-exposed and MTX-naive patients with RA. No increased rate of liver fibrosis was found among RA patients treated with MTX.

The Feasibility of Cervical Elastography in Predicting Preterm Delivery in Singleton Pregnancy with Short Cervix Following Progesterone Treatment

Previous studies demonstrated an association between cervical strain and risk of spontaneous preterm delivery (sPTD). The present study aimed to assess the efficacy of elastography in predicting sPTD at <32 weeks of gestation in women with singleton pregnancies receiving progesterone for short cervix (≤2.5 cm) diagnosed between 16 and 28 weeks of gestation Among 115 participants eligible for analysis, nine had sPTD at <32 weeks. Preprogesterone (PP0) mean internal os strain (IOS), elasticity contrast index (ECI), hardness ratio (HR), one-week postprogesterone (PP1) IOS, mean external os strain (EOS), ECI, and HR were significantly different between groups. Higher PP0 IOS, PP1 IOS, and PP1 EOS were associated with a 2.92, 4.39 and 3.65-fold increase in the risk of sPTD at <32 weeks, respectively (adjusted for cervical length (CL) at diagnosis; p = 0.04, 0.012 and 0.026, respectively). A combination of CL at diagnosis, PP0 IOS and PP1 EOS showed a significantly higher area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (0.858) than that of CL alone (p = 0.041). In women with singleton pregnancies receiving progesterone for short cervix, cervical elastography performed before and one week after progesterone treatment may be useful in predicting sPTD at <32 weeks of gestation.

Imaging-Based Staging of Hepatic Fibrosis in Patients with Hepatitis B: A Dynamic Radiomics Model Based on Gd-EOB-DTPA-Enhanced MRI

Accurate grading of liver fibrosis can effectively assess the severity of liver disease and help doctors make an appropriate diagnosis. This study aimed to perform the automatic staging of hepatic fibrosis on patients with hepatitis B, who underwent gadolinium ethoxybenzyl diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-EOB-DTPA)-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging with dynamic radiomics analysis. The proposed dynamic radiomics model combined imaging features from multi-phase dynamic contrast-enhanced (DCE) images and time-domain information. Imaging features were extracted from the deep learning-based segmented liver volume, and time-domain features were further explored to analyze the variation in features during contrast enhancement. Model construction and evaluation were based on a 132-case data set. The proposed model achieved remarkable performance in significant fibrosis (fibrosis stage S1 vs. S2-S4; accuracy (ACC) = 0.875, area under the curve (AUC) = 0.867), advanced fibrosis (S1-S2 vs. S3-S4; ACC = 0.825, AUC = 0.874), and cirrhosis (S1-S3 vs. S4; ACC = 0.850, AUC = 0.900) classifications in the test set. It was more dominant compared with the conventional single-phase or multi-phase DCE-based radiomics models, normalized liver enhancement, and some serological indicators. Time-domain features were found to play an important role in the classification models. The dynamic radiomics model can be applied for highly accurate automatic hepatic fibrosis staging.

Utility of Multiparametric CT for Identification of High-Risk NAFLD

OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of laboratory and CT metrics in identifying patients with high-risk nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). MATERIALS AND METHODS. Patients with biopsy-proven NAFLD who underwent CT within 1 year of biopsy were included. Histopathologic review was performed by an experienced gastrointestinal pathologist to determine steatosis, inflammation, and fibrosis. The presence of any lobular inflammation and hepatocyte ballooning was categorized as nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Patients with NAFLD and advanced fibrosis (stage F3 or higher) were categorized as having high-risk NAFLD. Aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) laboratory scores were calculated. CT metrics included hepatic attenuation, liver segmental volume ratio (LSVR), splenic volume, liver surface nodularity score, and selected texture features. In addition, two readers subjectively assessed the presence of NASH (present or not present) and fibrosis (stages F0-F4). RESULTS. A total of 186 patients with NAFLD (mean age, 49 years; 74 men and 112 women) were included. Of these, 87 (47%) had NASH and 112 (60%) had moderate to severe steatosis. A total of 51 patients were classified as fibrosis stage F0, 42 as F1, 23 as F2, 37 as F3, and 33 as F4. Additionally, 70 (38%) had advanced fibrosis (stage F3 or F4) and were considered to have high-risk NAFLD. FIB-4 score correlated with fibrosis (ROC AUC of 0.75 for identifying high-risk NAFLD). Of the individual CT parameters, LSVR and splenic volume performed best (AUC of 0.69 for both for detecting high-risk NAFLD). Subjective reader assessment performed best among all parameters (AUCs of 0.78 for reader 1 and 0.79 for reader 2 for detecting high-risk NAFLD). FIB-4 and subjective scores were complementary (combined AUC of 0.82 for detecting high-risk NAFLD). For NASH assessment, FIB-4 performed best (AUC of 0.68), whereas the AUCs were less than 0.60 for all individual CT features and subjective assessments. CONCLUSION. FIB-4 and multiple CT findings can identify patients with high-risk NAFLD (advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis). However, the presence of NASH is elusive on CT.

Point Shear-Wave Elastography Using Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging for the Prediction of Liver-Related Events in Patients With Chronic Viral Hepatitis

Chronic viral hepatitis is associated with substantial morbidity and mortality worldwide. The aim of our study was to assess the ability of point shear-wave elastography (pSWE) using acoustic radiation force impulse imaging for the prediction of the following liver-related events (LREs): new diagnosis of HCC, liver transplantation, or liver-related death (hepatic decompensation was not included as an LRE). pSWE was performed at study inclusion and compared with liver histology, transient elastography (TE), and serologic biomarkers (aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index, Fibrosis-4, FibroTest). The performance of pSWE and TE to predict LREs was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and a Cox proportional-hazards regression model. A total of 254 patients with a median follow-up of 78 months were included in the study. LRE occurred in 28 patients (11%) during follow-up. In both patients with hepatitis B virus and hepatitis C virus (HCV), pSWE showed significant correlations with noninvasive tests and TE, and median pSWE and TE values were significantly different between patients with LREs and patients without LREs (both P < 0.0001). In patients with HCV, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for pSWE and TE to predict LREs were comparable: 0.859 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.747-0.969) and 0.852 (95% CI, 0.737-0.967) (P = 0.93). In Cox regression analysis, pSWE independently predicted LREs in all patients with HCV (hazard ratio, 17.9; 95% CI, 5.21-61-17; P < 0.0001) and those who later received direct-acting antiviral therapy (hazard ratio, 17.11; 95% CI, 3.88-75.55; P = 0.0002). Conclusion: Our study shows good comparability between pSWE and TE. pSWE is a promising tool for the prediction of LREs in patients with viral hepatitis, particularly those with chronic HCV. Further studies are needed to confirm our data and assess their prognostic value in other liver diseases.

The Role of Elastography in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

The most common liver disease in developing countries is non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). This involves the abnormal accumulation of lipids in the liver, the pathogenesis of the disease being related to dyslipidemia, obesity, insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. Most often, the diagnosis of NAFLD is incidental, when performing routine blood tests or when performing a transabdominal ultrasound. The NAFLD spectrum ranges from simple forms of hepatic steatosis to the most advanced form of the disease, steatohepatitis (NASH), which in evolution can cause inflammation, fibrosis, cirrhosis of the liver and even liver cancer. For the evaluation of the prognosis and the clinical evolution, the most important parameter to define is the degree of liver fibrosis. Currently, the gold standard remains the liver biopsy, the differentiation between NAFLD and NASH being made only on the basis of histological analysis. However, liver biopsy is an invasive procedure, with numerous risks such as bleeding, lesions of the other organs and complications related to anesthesia, which significantly reduces its widespread use. Moreover, the risk of a false negative result and the increased costs of the procedure further limits its use in current practice. For this reason, non-invasive methods of evaluating the degree of liver fibrosis have gained ground in recent years. Imaging techniques such as elastography have shown promising results in evaluating and staging NAFLD. The aim of this article is to review the current status of the non-invasive tests for the assessment of NAFLD with a focus on the ultrasound-based elastography techniques.

[Magnetic resonance elastography of the liver : Worth knowing for clinical routine]

BACKGROUND

Magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) is a noninvasive, quantitative, MRI-based method to evaluate liver stiffness. Beside biopsy and ultrasound elastography, this imaging method plays in many places a significant role in the detection and additive characterization of chronic liver disease.

OBJECTIVES, MATERIALS AND METHODS

Based on the literature, a brief review of the underlying method and the commercially available products is given. Furthermore, the practical procedure, the analysis, and the interpretation of clinically relevant questions are illustrated and a comparison with ultrasound elastography is provided.

RESULTS

This relative "young" MRI method allows extensive evaluation of mechanical properties of the liver and is an important diagnostic tool especially in follow-up examinations. The MRE of the liver is with a maximum technical failure rate of 5.8% a robust technique with high accuracy and an excellent re-test reliability as well as intra- and interobserver reproducibility. There is a high diagnostic certainty within the framework of most important clinical indications, the quantification of fibrosis, and with a very good correlation with the "gold standard" biopsy.

CONCLUSION

Based on its rising clinical relevance and the broad usage, MRE of the liver is increasingly used in many centers and in routine liver protocols. Therefore, basic knowledge of this method is essential for every radiologist.

Noninvasive Tests in the Assessment of NASH and NAFLD Fibrosis: Now and Into the Future

Noninvasive serum and imaging methods offer accessible, accurate, and safe assessment of fibrosis severity in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. In contrast, current serum and imaging methods for the prediction of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are not sufficiently accurate for routine clinical use. Serum fibrosis markers that incorporate direct measures of fibrogenesis (for example, hyaluronic acid) or fibrinolysis are generally more accurate than biomarkers not incorporating direct measures of fibrogenesis. Elastography methods are more accurate than serum markers for fibrosis assessment and particularly for the determination of cirrhosis, but have a significant failure and/or unreliability rate in obese individuals. To overcome this, combining serum and elastography methods in a sequential manner minimizes indeterminate results and maintains accuracy. The accuracy of current noninvasive methods for monitoring fibrosis response to treatment are limited; however, new tools derived from "omic" methodologies offer promise for the future.

Liver and spleen elastography of dogs affected by brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome and its correlation with clinical biomarkers

The purpose of this study is to determine whether the brachycephalic obstructive airway syndrome (BOAS) is correlated to alterations in liver and spleen elasticity. Forty-eight brachycephalic and 22 mesocephalic dogs were submitted to a BOAS functional assessment, laboratory tests, abdominal ultrasound and liver and spleen Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) elastography. Dogs clinically affected by BOAS had higher values of liver stiffness (p < 0.001) than healthy dogs: medial lobes (1.57 ± 0.37 m/s), left and right lateral lobes (1.54 ± 0.50 m/s, 1.23 ± 0.28 m/s, respectively) and caudate lobe (1.28 ± 0.42 m/s). Compared to the mesocephalic group, the brachycephalic group (BOAS clinically affected and unaffected dogs) had higher spleen (2.51 ± 0.45 m/s; p < 0.001) and liver stiffness (p < 0.001): medial lobes (1.53 ± 0.37 m/s), left and right lateral lobes (1.47 ± 0.47 m/s, 1.20 ± 0.30 m/s, respectively) and caudate lobe (1.23 ± 0.40 m/s). Principal component analysis explained 70% of the variances composed by liver stiffness increase, erythrocytes and alanine aminotransferase reduction. Brachycephalic dogs had higher spleen and liver stiffness and a subacute inflammatory state, which represent another BOAS systemic effect. Consequently, these dogs can be at higher risk of hepatic disorders compared with mesocephalic dogs, similarly to humans affected by sleep apnea syndrome.

Hepatocellular Carcinoma and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: A Step Forward for Better Evaluation Using Ultrasound Elastography

Simple Summary

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) attracts a lot of attention, due to the increasing prevalence and progression to fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Consequently, new non-invasive, cost-effective diagnostic methods are needed. This review aims to explore the diagnostic performance of ultrasound (US) elastography in NAFLD and NAFLD-related HCC, adding a new dimension to the conventional US examination—the liver stiffness quantification. The vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE), and 2D-Shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) are effective in staging liver fibrosis in NAFLD. VCTE presents the upside of assessing steatosis through the controlled attenuation parameter. Hereby, we critically reviewed the elastography techniques for the quantitative characterization of focal liver lesions (FLLs), focusing on HCC: Point shear wave elastography and 2D-SWE. 2D-SWE presents a great potential to differentiate malignant from benign FLLs, guiding the clinician towards the next diagnostic steps. As a disease-specific surveillance tool, US elastography presents prognostic capability, improving the NAFLD-related HCC monitoring.

Abstract

The increasing prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) in the general population prompts for a quick response from physicians. As NAFLD can progress to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis, and even hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), new non-invasive, rapid, cost-effective diagnostic methods are needed. In this review, we explore the diagnostic performance of ultrasound elastography for non-invasive assessment of NAFLD and NAFLD-related HCC. Elastography provides a new dimension to the conventional ultrasound examination, by adding the liver stiffness quantification in the diagnostic algorithm. Whilst the most efficient elastographic techniques in staging liver fibrosis in NAFLD are vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE) and 2D-Shear wave elastography (2D-SWE), VCTE presents the upside of assessing steatosis through the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). Hereby, we have also critically reviewed the most important elastographic techniques for the quantitative characterization of focal liver lesions (FLLs), focusing on HCC: Point shear wave elastography (pSWE) and 2D-SWE. As our paper shows, elastography should not be considered as a substitute for FLL biopsy because of the stiffness values overlap. Furthermore, by using non-invasive, disease-specific surveillance tools, such as US elastography, a subset of the non-cirrhotic NAFLD patients at risk for developing HCC can be detected early, leading to a better outcome. A recent ultrasomics study exemplified the wide potential of 2D-SWE to differentiate benign FLLs from malignant ones, guiding the clinician towards the next steps of diagnosis and contributing to better long-term disease surveillance.

Performance of a Noninvasive Time-Harmonic Elastography Technique for Liver Fibrosis Evaluation Using Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography as Reference Method

AIM

This study aimed to evaluate the diagnosis performance of time-harmonic elastography (THE) technique in real life in assessing liver fibrosis, considering vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) as a reference method.

MATERIAL AND METHOD

We prospectively evaluated outpatients from the gastroenterology department. Liver stiffness (LS) was measured by the THE system by dedicated operators, and by VCTE by experienced operators. The diagnostic accuracy of THE in staging liver fibrosis was assessed. We also performed an intra- and interobserver reproducibility sub-analysis on a sub-group of 27 subjects, where liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were performed by a novice, an elastography expert, and an ultrasound expert.

RESULTS

Of the 165 patients, using VCTE cut-off values, 49.6% were F0-F1, 15.7% were F2, 6.6% were F3, and 28.1% were F4. A direct, significant and strong correlation (r = 0.82) was observed between LSM assessed by VCTE and THE, p < 0.0001. The cut-off for ruling out liver cirrhosis (LC) by THE on our study group was <1.61 m/s (7.77 kPa)-AUROC = 0.90 [95% CI (0.82-0.93)], Se = 90.7%, Sp = 66.6%, PPV = 55.7%, NPV = 93.9%. The cut-off for ruling in LC by THE was >1.83 m/s (10 kPa)-AUROC = 0.90 [95% CI (0.82-0.93)], p < 0.0001, Se = 65.1%, Sp = 96.7%, PPV = 90.3%, NPV = 85.7%. The overall agreement between examiners was excellent: 0.94 (95% CI: 0.89-0.97); still, the ICCs were higher for the more experienced elastography examiner: 0.92 (95% CI: 0.82-0.96) vs. 0.94 (95% CI: 0.87-0.97) vs. 0.97 (95% CI: 0.95-0.99).

CONCLUSIONS

THE is a feasible and reproducible elastography technique that can accurately rule in and rule out advanced liver disease.

High viral load predicts virologic failure in chronic genotype 2 hepatitis C virus-infected patients receiving glecaprevir/pibrentasvir therapy

BACKGROUND

The real-world data of glecaprevir/pibrentasvir (GLE/PIB) therapy for patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype 2 infection remained limited. We aimed to evaluate the possible predictors of virological failure and side effects of GLE/PIB therapy for chronic genotype 2 HCV-infected patients in a real-world setting.

METHODS

A total of 326 compensated HCV genotype 2 patients treated with GLE/PIB 12 weeks for cirrhotic patients (n = 56) and 8 weeks for non-cirrhotic patients (n = 270) were enrolled.

RESULTS

The sustained virological response 12 weeks off therapy (SVR₁₂) was 98.1%, 100%, and 97.7% in overall, GLE/PIB 12-week, and 8-week group, respectively. There were 6 (1.8%) patients with early withdrawal, and 14.1% patients had pruritus, the major adverse effect. In multivariate analyses, end-stage renal disease (odds ratio (OR) = 4.056, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.477-11.14, p = 0.007) and hypertension (OR = 2.325, 95% CI = 1.171-4.616, p = 0.016) were two significant factors associated with pruritus. There were 6 patients with virologic failure. In patients receiving 8-week GLE/PIB therapy, the SVR₁₂ rate was significant lower in high baseline viral load (≥10⁷ IU/ml) group compared to low viral load group (90.6% v.s 98.7%, p = 0.025). Multivariate analyses showed that HCV RNA≥10⁷ IU/ml was one of the independent factors (OR = 0.134, 95% CI = 0.024-0.748; p = 0.022) associated with SVR₁₂.

CONCLUSION

GIE/PIB is an effective, tolerable and safe agent to treat genotype 2 HCV infected patients. However, high viral load (≥10⁷ IU/ml) may predict virologic failure in non-cirrhotic patients receiving 8 weeks GIE/PIB treatment. This result should be further validated in a large cohort in the future.

Advances in ultrasound elastography for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) has increased rapidly worldwide, making NAFLD/NASH an important global health problem from both a medical and socioeconomic standpoint. NAFLD is also regarded as a liver component of metabolic syndrome and is reported to be associated with the risk factors for metabolic syndrome. It has been suggested that NAFLD/NASH be recognized both as a liver-specific disease and as an early mediator of systemic diseases. Liver biopsy is recommended as the gold standard method for the diagnosis of NASH and for the staging of liver fibrosis in patients with NAFLD. However, because of its high cost, high risk, and high weightage as a healthcare resource, invasive liver biopsy is a poorly suited diagnostic test for such a highly prevalent condition. Therefore, the development of reliable noninvasive methods for the assessment of liver fibrosis has been sought to estimate the risk of progression of NASH to cirrhosis, estimate the risk of cardiovascular events, aid in the surveillance for HCC, and guide therapy in patients with NAFLD/NASH. In this review, we highlight the principles and recent advances in ultrasound elastography techniques (Real-time Tissue Elastography^®, vibration-controlled transient elastography, point shear wave elastography, and two-dimensional shear wave elastography) used to evaluate the liver fibrosis stage and steatosis grade in patients with NAFLD.

Ultrasound 2020 - Diagnostics & Therapy: On the Way to Multimodal Ultrasound: Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), Microvascular Doppler Techniques, Fusion Imaging, Sonoelastography, Interventional Sonography

BACKGROUND

 Ultrasound as a non-ionizing imaging procedure is one of the most important diagnostic procedures in everyday clinical practice. The technology is widely used. Due to constant technical innovations, sonographic procedures, such as contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), sonoelastography, new microvascular Doppler modalities and, as an example of interventional procedures, sonographically controlled microwave ablation (MWA), are becoming increasingly important in diagnostic imaging and interventional medicine alongside CT and MRI. However, this also requires greater expertise, specialization and qualification on the part of users.

METHOD

 This review article provides information about the range of technical innovations in ultrasound in recent years and describes the underlying technology, the clinical applications, and their diagnostic value. These are presented in the context of the current literature, explaining their advantages and disadvantages and their clinical value.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION

 Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), microvascular Doppler modalities, fusion imaging and elastography complement B-scan ultrasound and conventional Doppler procedures for various problems. Microwave ablation (MWA) has a firm place as an ablative procedure for local tumor therapy in different organ systems and can be performed under ultrasound guidance. Thanks to new developments, the possibilities of ultrasound are now greater than ever. Knowledge of the technology, indications, and possible applications of newer procedures is essential for adequate patient care.

KEY POINTS

  · Contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) allows an increase in sensitivity and specificity in the assessment of parenchymal lesions.. · CEUS allows the microperfusion to be visualized and quantified. For larger vessels, CEUS is an important instrument in diagnosing endoleak after stenting.. · Microvascular Doppler techniques with clutter suppression algorithms allow a more accurate representation of the smallest vessels than regular color or power Doppler.. · Elastography of the liver in diffuse hepatopathies is a noninvasive diagnostic tool to exclude higher grade fibrosis/cirrhosis.. · Microwave ablation (MWA) also offers sonographically controlled ablation of tumors..

CITATION FORMAT

· Kloth C, Kratzer W, Schmidberger J et al. Ultrasound 2020 - Diagnostics & Therapy: On the Way to Multimodal Ultrasound: Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound (CEUS), Microvascular Doppler Techniques, Fusion Imaging, Sonoelastography, Interventional Sonography . Fortschr Röntgenstr 2021; 193: 23 - 32.

Acoustic radiation force impulse point shear wave elastography of the liver and spleen in patients with Gaucher disease type 1: Correlations with clinical data and markers of disease severity

PURPOSE

To evaluate the feasibility of acoustic radiation force impulse point shear wave elastography (ARFI-pSWE) of the liver and spleen in patients with Gaucher disease type 1 (GD1), and to assess correlations between organ stiffness and clinico-radiologic data, particularly the GD1 Severity Scoring System (GD-DS3).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively evaluated the results of ARFI-pSWE as measures of liver and spleen stiffness in 57 patients with GD1. The feasibility of the method was assessed. Correlations between elastography data and clinical data related to the metabolic syndrome, laboratory tests, and GD1-related clinico-radiologic data (bone marrow burden score, GD-DS3) were assessed.

RESULTS

ARFI-pSWE provided reliable results (i.e. standard deviation <30% of the mean value between the measurements) in 50/57 patients. Significant liver fibrosis was present in 35/50 patients (70%). Liver stiffness significantly correlated with GD-DS3 score (p = .03), and number of fulfilled criteria of metabolic syndrome (p = .03). Spleen stiffness significantly correlated with age (p = .021), body mass index (p = .002), number of fulfilled criteria of metabolic syndrome (p = .02), and several laboratory parameters (alanine aminotransferase, gamma glutamyltranspeptidase, triglycerides, cholesterol), and nearly significantly with GD-DS3 score (p = .059).

CONCLUSION

ARFI-pSWE is a useful tool for a more detailed assessment of disease severity in patients with GD1, which adds relevant information to the standard clinical scores. Thus, elastography might allow for extended therapy monitoring, especially in patients with significant liver fibrosis. Spleen elastography showed promising results; thus, its role should be further investigated.

The role of spleen stiffness using ARFI in predicting esophageal varices in patients with Hepatitis B and C virus-related cirrhosis

INTRODUCTION

Current guidelines recommend that all patients with cirrhosis undergo upper gastrointestinal endoscopy (UGE) screening for esophageal varices (EV). Unfortunately, UGE has a lot of disadvantages, consequently various non-invasive methods of diagnosing EV have been proposed. We evaluated if spleen stiffness (SS) measured by Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) is a viable technique in diagnosing EV.

METHODS

We recruited 178 patients with cirrhosis caused by Hepatitis B and C who underwent biochemical tests, abdominal ultrasound, UGE, LS and SS measurements using ARFI elastography. Based on the endoscopic results the patients were divided in 3 groups: without EV, with small EV (<5 mm) and with large EV (>5 mm).

RESULTS

ARFI SS was the only non-invasive parameter associated with the presence of EV (2.7±0.30 vs. 3.4±0.52, p<0.001) and large EV (2.91±0.36 vs. 3.86±0.37, p=0.001) after multivariate logistic regression (p<0.001). ARFI SS for predicting EV showed an AUROC of 0.872 (CI 95%: 0.799-0.944), for a cut-off value of 2.89 m/s: Sensitivity (Se) 91.4% (CI 95%: 81-97%), Specificity (Sp) 67.7% (CI 95%: 51-85%). ARFI SS for diagnosing large EV (>5mm) had better results with an AUROC 0.969 (CI 95%:0.935-0.99), and for a cut-off of 3.30 m/s: Se 96.4% (CI 95%: 82-99.9%), Sp 88.5% (CI 95%: 78-95%).

CONCLUSIONS

SS measured using ARFI is a good method of detecting EV and is an excellent method of diagnosing large EV in patients with virus-related cirrhosis.

Enhanced Instantaneous Elastography in Tissues and Hard Materials Using Bulk Modulus and Density Determined Without Externally Applied Material Deformation

Ultrasound is a continually developing technology that is broadly used for fast, non-destructive mechanical property detection of hard and soft materials in applications ranging from manufacturing to biomedical. In this study, a novel monostatic longitudinal ultrasonic pulsing elastography imaging method is introduced. The existing elastography methods require an acoustic radiational or dynamic compressive externally applied force to determine the effective bulk modulus or density. This new, passive M-mode imaging technique does not require an external stress and can be effectively used for both soft and hard materials. Strain map imaging and shear wave elastography are two current categories of M-mode imaging that show both relative and absolute elasticity information. The new technique is applied to hard materials and soft material tissue phantoms for demonstrating effective bulk modulus and effective density mapping. When compared with standard techniques, the effective parameters fall within 10% of standard characterization methods for both hard and soft materials. As neither the standard A-mode imaging technique nor the presented technique require an external applied force, the techniques are applied to composite heterostructures and the findings presented for comparison. The presented passive M-mode technique is found to have enhanced resolution over standard A-mode modalities.

Detecting chronic liver disease: are liver function tests the solution?

By 2020, chronic liver disease will have eclipsed ischaemic heart disease as the leading cause of working life years lost in the UK. As mortality from chronic liver disease continues to rise, the landscape of aetiology has shifted from infectious to non-communicable causes. In parallel with the growing prevalence of obesity and type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is estimated to affect 25% of the UK adult population. Simultaneously, escalating alcohol consumption has fuelled public health and economic concerns regarding its widespread impact on working-age adults. Given that chronic liver disease remains clinically silent until its advanced stages, there is an urgent unmet need to identify affected individuals earlier in the disease process, enabling targeted intervention strategies which may improve prognosis. Robust epidemiological data have shown that liver fibrosis is the strongest predictor of clinically meaningful outcomes, including decompensation, liver cancer and overall mortality. Detecting fibrosis among at-risk individuals, in a manner that is reproducible, non-invasive, safe and cost effective, has become a major challenge of our time. This article addresses the pitfalls of the standard panel of liver function tests, discusses other non-invasive biomarkers and reviews imaging technologies which may revolutionise community-based diagnosis and stratification of chronic liver disease.

Liver stiffness as a predictor of hepatocellular carcinoma behavior in patients with hepatitis C related liver cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Risk stratification and prognostication of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) help to improve patient outcome. Herein we investigated the role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) in the prediction of HCC behavior.

METHODS

Totally 121 naïve patients with HCC were included. HCC radiological evaluation and staging were done. LSM was measured using virtual touch quantification. Patients were divided into early to intermediate HCC (BCLC-0, A and B) and late HCC (BCLCC and D). HCC was treated according to the BCLC stage. HCC recurrence-free interval was estimated.

RESULTS

The mean LSM inside the tumor was significantly lower than the peri-tumoral area and the cirrhotic non-cancerous liver parts (P < 0.001). In late HCCs stage, the mean LSM inside the tumor and in the peri-tumoral tissue was lower than the corresponding values in the early to intermediate HCCs stage (P < 0.001). LSM inside the tumor and in the peri-tumoral tissue negatively correlated with serum AFP, tumor vascular invasion, and stage (P < 0.05). The recurrence-free interval was directly correlated to LSM inside the tumor and inversely to LSM in cirrhotic non tumorous liver part. Kaplan-Meier analysis showed that the recurrence-free interval was significantly longer in patients with LSM inside the tumor of ≥1.25 m/s compared to those with LSM inside the tumor of <1.25 m/s.

CONCLUSIONS

LSM can serve as a potential non-invasive predictor for HCC clinical behavior and the recurrence-free interval following loco-regional treatments.

The diagnostic accuracy of liver fibrosis in non-viral liver diseases using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is an ultrasound-based elastography method that has been studied in the staging of hepatic fibrosis, especially in chronic hepatitis. However, the diagnostic accuracy of ARFI in non-viral hepatopathies, such as autoimmune hepatitis and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, has not been systematically determined.

AIM

To systematically assess the diagnostic accuracy of ARFI in non-viral hepatopathies.

METHODS

The databases of PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library and clinicaltrials.gov were systematically searched for candidate studies reporting the diagnostic accuracy of ARFI for hepatic fibrosis. The pooled estimates of the sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio, and positive and negative likelihood ratios were calculated with the summary receiver operating curve (sROC) performed using STATA software.

RESULTS

In detail, a total of 29 diagnostic studies were included for further analysis. The quality of the included studies was relatively high using QUADAS method. The pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.79 (0.73, 0.83) and 0.81 (0.75, 0.86), with AUROC 0.87 (0.83, 0.89) for the staging of significant fibrosis (F≥2). Meanwhile, for the staging of severe fibrosis (F≥3), the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.92 (0.87, 0.95) and 0.85 (0.80, 0.89), with AUROC 0.94 (0.92, 0.96). Furthermore, the pooled sensitivity and specificity were 0.89 (0.79, 0.95) and 0.89 (0.85, 0.92), with AUROC 0.94 (0.92, 0.96) for ARFI in staging cirrhosis (F = 4), which were similar to the data for severe fibrosis. No significant publication bias was present in this study.

CONCLUSION

This meta-analysis demonstrated that ARFI exerted satisfactory diagnostic performance in staging non-viral hepatic fibrosis, especially severe fibrosis (F≥3) and cirrhosis (F = 4).

Stereotactic body radiation therapy planning for liver tumors using functional images from dual-energy computed tomography

PURPOSE

This study aimed to generate a functional image of the liver using dual-energy computed tomography (DECT) and a functional-image-based stereotactic body radiation therapy plan to minimize the dose to the volume of the functional liver (V_fl).

MATERIAL AND METHODS

A normalized iodine density (NID) map was generated for fifteen patients with liver tumors. The volume of liver with an NID < 0.46 was defined as V_fl, and the ratio between V_fl and the total volume of the liver (FLR) was calculated. The relationship between the FLR and Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) was assessed. For patients with 15% < FLR < 85%, functional volumetric modulated-arc therapy plans (F-VMAT) were retrospectively generated to preserve V_fl, and compared to the clinical plans (C-VMAT).

RESULTS

FLR showed a significantly strong correlation with FIB-4 (r = -0.71, p < 0.01). For ten generated F-VMAT plans, the dosimetric parameters of D_99%, D_50%, D_1% and the conformity index were comparable to those of the C-VMAT (p > 0.05). For V_fl, F-VMAT plans achieved lower V_5Gy (122.4 ± 31.7 vs 181.1 ± 57.3 cc), V_10Gy (44.4 ± 22.2 vs 98.2 ± 33.3 cc), V_15Gy (22.6 ± 20.3 vs 49.8 ± 33.7 cc), V_20Gy (11.6 ± 14.1 vs 24.9 ± 25.1 cc), and D_mean (3.9 ± 2.3 vs 5.8 ± 3.0 Gy) values than the C-VMAT plans (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

The functional image derived from DECT was successfully used, allowing for a reduction in the dose to the V_fl without compromising target coverage.

A New Multimodel Machine Learning Framework to Improve Hepatic Fibrosis Grading Using Ultrasound Elastography Systems from Different Vendors

The purpose of the work described here was to determine if the diagnostic performance of point and 2-D shear wave elastography (pSWE; 2-DSWE) using shear wave velocity (SWV) with a new machine learning (ML) technique applied to systems from different vendors is comparable to that of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) in distinguishing non-significant (<F2) from significant (≥F2) fibrosis. We included two patient groups with liver disease: (i) 144 patients undergoing pSWE (Siemens) and MRE; and (ii) 60 patients undergoing 2-DSWE (Philips) and MRE. Four ML algorithms using 10 SWV measurements as inputs were trained with MRE. Results were validated using twofold cross-validation. The performance of median SWV in binary grading of fibrosis was moderate for pSWE (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.76) and 2-DSWE (0.84); the ML algorithm support vector machine (SVM) performed particularly well (pSWE: 0.96, 2-DSWE: 0.99). The results suggest that the multivendor ML-based algorithm SVM can binarily grade liver fibrosis using ultrasound elastography with excellent diagnostic performance, comparable to that of MRE.

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease associated with hepatocellular carcinoma: An increasing concern

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the sixth most common cancer in world and third largest cause of cancer-related deaths. The last few decades have witnessed the emergence of non-viral causes of HCC, the most important being non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD ranges from simple steatosis in the absence of excessive alcohol intake to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) with or without cirrhosis. About 3-15 per cent of the obese patients with NASH progress to cirrhosis and about 4-27 per cent of NASH with cirrhosis patients transform to HCC. It is also known that HCC can develop de novo in patients with NASH without the presence of cirrhosis. Yearly cumulative incidence of NASH-related HCC is low (2.6%) compared to four per cent of viral-HCC. NAFLD has been associated with risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, insulin resistance, altered gut flora and persistent inflammation. Due to alarming rise in metabolic diseases, both in the developing as well as the developed world, it is expected that the incidence of NAFLD/NASH-HCC would rise manifold in future. No definite guidelines have been drawn for surveillance and management of NAFLD/NASH-associated HCC. It is thus important to discuss the entity of HCC in NAFLD at length with special focus on its epidemiology, risk factors, pathophysiology, diagnosis, clinical presentation and prevention.

Abdominal Wall Thickness Affects Liver Stiffness Measurements by 2-D Shear Wave Elastography in Patients with Chronic Liver Disease

This study was conducted to define the effect of abdominal wall thickness (AWT) and its composition on the level of confidence in liver stiffness (LS) measurements obtained with 2-D shear wave elastography (2-D-SWE) in patients with chronic liver disease. In this retrospective study, a total of 1291 patients who underwent LS measurement by 2-D-SWE were enrolled. The abdominal wall was divided into three layers: layer 1 extended from the skin to the subcutaneous fat layer; layer 2 was the muscle layer; and layer 3 extended from the peritoneum to the liver capsule (including the omental fat layer, if present). We regarded the sums of layers 1-3 and layers 1 and 3 as the AWT and non-muscular layer thickness (NMT). Age/sex/body mass index-adjusted multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed to identify factors influencing the level of confidence of LS measurements. Three hundred eighty-six patients (29.9%) were classified in the unreliable LS group (standard deviation/median LS > 0.1). The fourth quartile of AWT and third and fourth quartiles of NMT/AWT were significantly associated with unreliable LS values (odds ratios = 2.103, 1.753 and 1.695, respectively). In conclusion, high AWT and NMT/AWT ratios reduce the confidence in LS measurements obtained with 2-D-SWE.

Correlation between Liver Elasticity by Ultrasound Elastography and Liver Functional Reserve

No worldwide consensus on the assessment tool for liver functional reserve is currently available. The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between liver elasticity of both hepatic lobes and liver functional reserve tests. This prospective observational study comprised 40 patients scheduled for hepatectomy. Liver elasticity was assessed by Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ). The mean VTQ value for the right and left lobes was defined as the mVTQ. Liver functional reserve was measured with technetium-99m-diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid-galactosyl-human serum albumin scintigraphy as LHL15 and HH15 and the indocyanine green (ICG) excretion test as ICG-R15 and ICG-K. All examinations were measured after biliary decompression confirmed serum a total bilirubin level ≤2 mg/dL. Mean VTQ values were moderately correlated with LHL15 (r = -0.42, p < 0.01), HH15 (r = 0.48, p < 0.01), ICG-R15 (r = 0.53, p < 0.01) and ICG-K (r = -0.61, p < 0.01) values. In conclusion, the liver elasticity determined by VTQ would be a useful predictor of liver functional reserve in patients scheduled for hepatectomy.

Performance of common imaging techniques vs serum biomarkers in assessing fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B: A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND

Noninvasive biomarkers have been developed to predict hepatitis B virus (HBV) related fibrosis owing to the significant limitations of liver biopsy. Both serum biomarkers and imaging techniques have shown promising results and may improve the evaluation of liver fibrosis. However, most of the previous studies focused on the diagnostic effects of various imaging techniques on fibrosis in all chronic liver diseases.

AIM

To compare the performance of common imaging methods and serum biomarkers for prediction of significant fibrosis caused only by HBV infection.

METHODS

A systematic review was conducted on the records available in PubMed, EMBASE, and the Cochrane Library electronic databases until December 2018. We systematically assessed the effectiveness of two serum biomarkers and three imagine techniques in predicting significant fibrosis solely caused by HBV infection. The serum biomarkers included aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis index based on the 4 factors (FIB-4). The three imaging techniques included acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), FibroScan, and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE). Three parameters, the area under the summary receiver operating characteristic curve (AUSROC), the summary diagnostic odds ratio, and the summary sensitivity and specificity, were used to examine the accuracy of all tests for liver fibrosis.

RESULTS

Out of 2831 articles evaluated for eligibility, 204 satisfied the predetermined inclusion criteria for this current meta-analysis. Eventually, our final data contained 81 studies. The AUSROCs of serum biomarkers of APRI and FIB-4 were both 0.75. For imaging techniques (ARFI, FibroScan, and MRE), the areas were 0.89, 0.83, and 0.97, respectively. The heterogeneities of ARFI and FibroScan were statistically significant (I² > 50%). The publication bias was not observed in any of the serum biomarkers or imaging methods.

CONCLUSION

These five methods have attained an acceptable level of diagnostic accuracy. Imaging techniques, MRE in particular, demonstrate significant advantages in accurately predicting HBV-related significant fibrosis, while serum biomarkers are admissible methods.

Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography of liver as a screening tool for liver fibrosis in alcoholic liver disease

Context:

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography is a noninvasive and quantitative technique for diagnosis of liver fibrosis. To the best of our knowledge, there are only two studies reported in literature for evaluation of alcoholic liver disease using ARFI.

Aims:

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of ARFI elastography for assessing liver fibrosis in alcoholic liver disease and compare it with biochemical indices aspartate transaminase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) and fibrosis-4 Index (FIB-4) using histopathology as the reference standard.

Settings and Design:

Institutional cross-sectional study.

Methods and Materials:

The patients visiting our hospital over a period of 2 years with a high-risk consumption of alcohol (>40 g/day for men and >20 g/day for women for a cumulative period of more than 5 years) were subjected to ARFI elastography of liver, Liver Function Tests (to calculate APRI and FIB-4 indices), and liver biopsy.

Statistical Analysis Used:

Area under the receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) curve analysis, Kruskal--Wallis test for ANOVA.

Results:

A total of 50 patients of chronic alcoholic liver disease were evaluated with ARFI elastography, which performed better than the biochemical indices in distinguishing cirrhosis of the liver (F = 4) from the severe fibrosis (F ≥ 3) with area under the receiver operating characteristic of 0.97, whereas for significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2) and severe fibrosis (F ≥ 3), it was comparable to the biochemical indices with AUROC of 0.65 and 0.70. In our study, the median shear wave velocity cutoff values were 1.37 m/s, 1.51 m/s, and 1.87 m/s for F ≥ 2, F ≥ 3, and F = 4 fibrosis stages, respectively.

Conclusions:

ARFI elastography is a noninvasive, reliable, and repeatable diagnostic test for grading of liver fibrosis. It performs better than the biochemical indices to differentiate severe fibrosis and cirrhosis of liver.

The clinical usefulness of elastography in the evaluation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients: A biopsy-controlled study

BACKGROUND

We aimed at determination of the usefulness of elastography [acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and FibroScan] for evaluation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A prospective cross-sectional study included 60 biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (mean age: 45 years) was carried out. All patients were subjected to lab works, liver biopsy, and measurement of liver stiffness by ARFI and FibroScan and steatosis by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). CAP measurements were adjusted for the presence of NAFLD and presence or absence of diabetes and according to BMI.

RESULTS

Linear regression analysis showed that CAP is an independent predictor for significant hepatic steatosis (P<0.001). No significant difference was found in diagnostic accuracy between adjusted and nonadjusted CAP values for diagnosis of mild (>S1) or significant (>S2) hepatic steatosis (P=0.17 and 0.29 respectively). The median ARFI velocities for F1, F2, F3, and F4 were 0.92, 1.08, 1.07, and 2.58 m/s, respectively. Although there was an overall significant increase in ARFI values across the fibrosis grades (P<0.04), the difference in ARFI values was only significant between fibrosis grades F1 and F4 (P=0.02).

CONCLUSION

Elastography is a promising noninvasive tool for diagnosis and grading of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with good sensitivity and specificity, especially in moderate to marked grades.

Diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography (ARFI) in comparison to other non-invasive modalities in staging of liver fibrosis in chronic HCV patients: single-center experience

PURPOSE

To evaluate the reliability of ARFI elastography for liver fibrosis staging and compare it to other non-invasive assessment of hepatic fibrosis (FIB-4 and APRI) in chronic HCV (CHC) patients.

METHODS

A single-center, prospective study included 2103 CHC patients. Liver stiffness (LS) was evaluated by TE and ARFI elastography. FIB-4 and APRI were calculated. The area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUROCs) was used to assess the diagnostic performance of ARFI elastography for staging of liver fibrosis using TE as a reference standard.

RESULTS

The best cut off values of ARFI elastography for diagnosis of ≥ F2, ≥ F3and F4 were 1.36 m/s, 1.45 m/s, and 1.7 m/s with AUROCs of 0.89, 0.94 and 0.95, respectively. ARFI elastography cut offs are lower in patients with normal ALT level compared to those with ALT level (1.1-< 3 ULN) and those with ALT level ≥ 3ULN (1.35 m/s vs 1.39 m/s vs 1.54 for F ≥ 2, 1.44 m/s vs 1.58 m/s vs 1.6 m/s for F3, 1.69 m/s, 1.84 m/s, 1.86 m/s for F4). FIB-4 (0.82-0.86) and APRI (0.78-0.82) yielded lower AUC in prediction of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis than ARFI elastography (0.89-0.95).

CONCLUSION

ARFI elastography is a reliable method for non-invasive staging of liver fibrosis in CHC patients when compared to TE with a good diagnostic performance comparable to FIB-4 and APRI scores for the prediction of significant fibrosis and cirrhosis.

Prospective comparison of transient, point shear wave, and magnetic resonance elastography for staging liver fibrosis

OBJECTIVES

To perform head-to-head comparisons of the feasibility and diagnostic performance of transient elastography (TE), point shear-wave elastography (pSWE), and magnetic resonance elastography (MRE).

METHODS

This prospective, cross-sectional, dual-center imaging study included 100 patients with known or suspected chronic liver disease caused by hepatitis B or C virus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or autoimmune hepatitis identified between 2014 and 2018. Liver stiffness measured with the three elastographic techniques was obtained within 6 weeks of a liver biopsy. Confounding effects of inflammation and steatosis on association between fibrosis and liver stiffness were assessed. Obuchowski scores and AUCs for staging fibrosis were evaluated and the latter were compared using the DeLong method.

RESULTS

TE, pSWE, and MRE were technically feasible and reliable in 92%, 79%, and 91% subjects, respectively. At univariate analysis, liver stiffness measured by all techniques increased with fibrosis stages and inflammation and decreased with steatosis. For classification of dichotomized fibrosis stages, the AUCs were significantly higher for distinguishing stages F0 vs. ≥ F1 with MRE than with TE (0.88 vs. 0.71; p < 0.05) or pSWE (0.88 vs. 0.73; p < 0.05), and for distinguishing stages ≤ F1 vs. ≥ F2 with MRE than with TE (0.85 vs. 0.75; p < 0.05). TE, pSWE, and MRE Obuchowski scores for staging fibrosis stages were respectively 0.89 (95% CI 0.85-0.93), 0.90 (95% CI 0.85-0.94), and 0.94 (95% CI 0.91-0.96).

CONCLUSION

MRE provided a higher diagnostic performance than TE and pSWE for staging early stages of liver fibrosis.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

NCT02044523 KEY POINTS: • The technical failure rate was similar between MRE and US-based elastography techniques. • Liver stiffness measured by MRE and US-based elastography techniques increased with fibrosis stages and inflammation and decreased with steatosis. • MRE provided a diagnostic accuracy higher than US-based elastography techniques for staging of early stages of histology-determined liver fibrosis.

Cutoff Values of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Two-Location Measurements in Different Etiologies of Liver Fibrosis

BACKGROUND

Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging is a popular modality to measure liver fibrosis. ARFI selects optimal locations for measurement under imaging guiding. However, there are concerns on study locations and observers bias. To decrease the variations, ARFI at two locations was measured with standardized protocol. This study attempted to establish its cutoff values according to Metavir fibrosis score in different etiologies.

METHODS

A consecutive series of patients who received liver histology study were prospectively enrolled. All cases had hemogram, liver biochemistry, viral markers, and ARFI two-location measurements within 4 weeks of histology study. A standardized protocol was performed by single technologist. We excluded patients with alanine aminotransferase >5x upper limit normal.

RESULTS

Five hundred and ten patients that included 153 seronegative for both HBsAg and anti-HCV Non-B non-C (NBNC), 33 autoimmune liver diseases (AILD), 261 chronic hepatitis B (CHB), and 63 chronic hepatitis C (CHC) were enrolled. About 83% of NBNC patients had fat cell >5%. For diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, the area under receiver operating characteristic curve of NBNC, AILD, CHB, and CHC groups was 0.937, 0.929, 0.784, and 0.937; the cutoff values for mean ARFI were 1.788, 2.095, 1.455, and 1.710 m/s, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity are both over 0.818 for patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, CHC, and AILD, but the corresponding data are only 0.727-0.756 in CHB. The Fibrosis-4 Score is as good as ARFI on fibrosis assessment in NBNC.

CONCLUSION

The performance of ARFI two-location measurement is excellent in NBNC, AILD, and CHC, but is only satisfactory in CHB.

B-mode ultrasound for the assessment of hepatic fibrosis: a quantitative multiparametric analysis for a radiomics approach

Hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis are a growing global health problem with increasing mortality rates. Early diagnosis and staging of hepatic fibrosis represent a major challenge. Currently liver biopsy is the gold standard for fibrosis assessment; however, biopsy requires an invasive procedure and is prone to sampling error and reader variability. In the current study we investigate using quantitative analysis of computer-extracted features of B-mode ultrasound as a non-invasive tool to characterize hepatic fibrosis. Twenty-two rats were administered diethylnitrosamine (DEN) orally for 12 weeks to induce hepatic fibrosis. Four control rats did not receive DEN. B-mode ultrasound scans sampling throughout the liver were acquired at baseline, 10, and 13 weeks. Computer extracted quantitative parameters representing brightness (echointensity, hepatorenal index) and variance (heterogeneity, anisotropy) of the liver were studied. DEN rats showed an increase in echointensity from 37.1 ± SD 7.8 to 53.5 ± 5.7 (10 w) to 57.5 ± 6.1 (13 w), while the control group remained unchanged at an average of 34.5 ± 4.5. The three other features studied increased similarly over time in the DEN group. Histologic analysis showed METAVIR fibrosis grades of F2-F4 in DEN rats and F0-F1 in controls. Increasing imaging parameters correlated with increasing METAVIR grades, and anisotropy showed the strongest correlation (ρ = 0.58). Sonographic parameters combined using multiparametric logistic regression were able to differentiate between clinically significant and insignificant fibrosis. Quantitative B-mode ultrasound imaging can be implemented in clinical settings as an accurate non-invasive tool for fibrosis assessment.

Ultrasound Elastography as a Non-Invasive Method to Monitor Liver Disease in Children with Short Bowel Syndrome: Updated Results

PURPOSE

The purpose of the study was to determine the accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) ultrasound elastography in assessing the degree of liver disease in children with short bowel syndrome (SBS).

METHODS

A prospective observational cohort study of patients with SBS who underwent a liver biopsy and ARFI elastography was performed. Mean shear wave speed (SWS) and stage of fibrosis was evaluated using t-tests. Receiver operating characteristic curves (ROC) were generated and the area under the curves (AUC) estimated in order to assess the accuracy of SWS measurements to discriminate between stages of fibrosis.

RESULTS

Thirty-seven paired elastography and biopsy samples from 31 patients were included. The median age was 0.6 years, and 61% were male. There was a significant positive correlation between stage of fibrosis and mean SWS (β=0.16 m/s increase per stage, p=<0.001). ROC analysis revealed that mean SWS had good accuracy for discriminating between mild liver fibrosis (F0-F1) and moderate to severe fibrosis (F2-F4) (AUC=0.80, 95% CI 0.65-0.95). In addition, ROC analysis demonstrated that mean SWS can also accurately discriminate between mild to moderate fibrosis (F0-F2) and more severe fibrosis (F3-F4) (AUC=0.84, 95% CI 0.71-0.96).

CONCLUSION

ARFI elastography is an accurate, non-invasive method to monitor liver disease in children with SBS.

TYPE OF STUDY

Retrospective Cohort Study LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: II.

Ultrasound Elastography to Quantify Liver Disease Severity in Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound elastography with acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) to detect congenital hepatic fibrosis and portal hypertension in children with autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD).

STUDY DESIGN

Cross-sectional study of 25 children with ARPKD and 24 healthy controls. Ultrasound ARFI elastography (Acuson S3000, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc, Malvern, Pennsylvania) was performed to measure shear wave speed (SWS) in the right and left liver lobes and the spleen. Liver and spleen SWS were compared in controls vs ARPKD, and ARPKD without vs with portal hypertension. Linear correlations between liver and spleen SWS, spleen length, and platelet counts were analyzed. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy of ultrasound ARFI elastography.

RESULTS

Participants with ARPKD had significantly higher median liver and spleen SWS than controls. At a proposed SWS cut-off value of 1.56 m/s, the left liver lobe had the highest sensitivity (92%) and specificity (96%) for distinguishing participants with ARPKD from controls (receiver operating characteristic area 0.92; 95% CI 0.82-1.00). Participants with ARPKD with portal hypertension (splenomegaly and low platelet counts) had significantly higher median liver and spleen stiffness than those without portal hypertension. The left liver lobe also had the highest sensitivity and specificity for distinguishing subjects with ARPKD with portal hypertension.

CONCLUSIONS

Ultrasound ARFI elastography of the liver and spleen, particularly of the left liver lobe, is a useful noninvasive biomarker to detect and quantify liver fibrosis and portal hypertension in children with ARPKD.

Rational arrangement of measuring shear wave speed in the liver

BACKGROUND

Shear wave speed has been widely applied to quantify a degree of liver fibrosis. However, there is no standardized procedure, which makes it difficult to utilize the speed universally.

AIM

To provide procedural standardization of shear wave speed measurement.

METHODS

Point shear wave elastography (pSWE) was measured in 781 patients, and two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2dSWE) was measured on the same day in 18 cases. Regions-of-interest were placed at 12 sites, and the median and robust coefficient-of-variation (CVR) were calculated. A residual sum-of-square (Σdi 2) was computed for bootstrap values of 1000 iterations in 18 cases with each assumption of 1 to 12 measurements. The proportion of the Σdi 2 (%Σdi 2) was calculated as the ratio of Σdi 2 to pSWE after converting it based on the correlation between pSWE and 2dSWE.

RESULTS

The CVR showed a significantly broader distribution in the left lobe (P < 0.0001), and the smallest CVR in the right anterior segment that covered 95% cases was 40.4%. pSWE was significantly higher in the left lobe than in the right lobe (1.63 ± 0.78 m/s vs 1.61 ± 0.78 m/s, P = 0.0004), and the difference between the lobes became further discrete when the subjects were limited to the cases with a CVR less than 40.4% in any segment (1.76 ± 0.80 m/s vs 1.70 ± 0.82 m/s, P < 0.0001). The highest values of the CVR in every 0.1 m/s interval were plotted in convex upward along pSWE and peaked at 1.93 m/s. pSWE and 2dSWE were significantly correlated (P < 0.0001, r = 0.95). In 216000 resamples from 18 cases, the %Σdi 2 of 12 sites was 8.0% and gradually increased as the acquisition sites decreased to reach a significant difference with a %Σdi 2 of 7 sites (P = 0.027).

CONCLUSION

These data suggest that shear wave speed should be measured at 8 or more sites of spreading in both lobes.

A PDGFRβ-based score predicts significant liver fibrosis in patients with chronic alcohol abuse, NAFLD and viral liver disease

Background

Platelet Derived Growth Factor Receptor beta (PDGFRβ) has been associated to hepatic stellate cell activation and has been the target of multiple therapeutic studies. However, little is known concerning its use as a diagnostic agent.

Methods

Circulating PDGFRβ levels were analysed in a cohort of patients with liver fibrosis/cirrhosis due to chronic alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). The diagnostic performance of PDGFRβ as individual blood parameter, or in combination with other metabolic factors was evaluated.

Findings

sPDGFRβ levels are progressively increased with increasing fibrosis stage and the largest difference was observed in patients with significant fibrosis, compared to no or mild fibrosis. The accuracy of sPDGFRβ-levels predicting fibrosis could be increased by combining it with albumin levels and platelet counts into a novel diagnostic algorithm, the PRTA-score, generating a predictive value superior to Fib-4, APRI, and AST/ALT. The sPDGFRβ levels and the PRTA-score are independent of liver disease aetiology, thus overcoming one of the major weaknesses of current non-invasive clinical and experimental scores. Finally, we confirmed the diagnostic value of sPDGFRβ levels and the PRTA-score in an independent patient cohort with NAFLD which was staged for fibrosis by liver biopsy.

Interpretation

The PRTA-score is an accurate tool for detecting significant liver fibrosis in a broad range of liver disease aetiologies.

Fund

Vrije Universiteit Brussel, the Institute for the Promotion of Innovation through Science and Technology in Flanders (IWT-Flanders) (HILIM-3D; SBO140045), and the Fund of Scientific Research Flanders (FWO).