Prognostic Significance of Controlled Attenuation Parameter in Patients With Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease

Exploring Opportunities to Enhance the Screening and Surveillance of Hepatocellular Carcinoma in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) through Risk Stratification Algorithms Incorporating Ultrasound Elastography

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with its progressive form, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), has emerged as a significant public health concern, affecting over 30% of the global population. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), a complication associated with both cirrhotic and non-cirrhotic NAFLD, has shown a significant increase in incidence. A substantial proportion of NAFLD-related HCC occurs in non-cirrhotic livers, highlighting the need for improved risk stratification and surveillance strategies. This comprehensive review explores the potential role of liver ultrasound elastography as a risk assessment tool for HCC development in NAFLD and highlights the importance of effective screening tools for early, cost-effective detection and improved management of NAFLD-related HCC. The integration of non-invasive tools and algorithms into risk stratification strategies could have the capacity to enhance NAFLD-related HCC screening and surveillance effectiveness. Alongside exploring the potential advancement of non-invasive tools and algorithms for effectively stratifying HCC risk in NAFLD, we offer essential perspectives that could enable readers to improve the personalized assessment of NAFLD-related HCC risk through a more methodical screening approach.

Ultrasound-Based Diagnostic Methods: Possible Use in Fatty Liver Disease Area

Liver steatosis is a chronic liver disease that is becoming one of the most important global health problems, due to its direct connection with metabolic syndrome, its significant impact on patients' socioeconomic status and frailty, and the occurrence of advanced chronic liver disease. In recent years, there has been rapid technological progress in the ultrasound-based diagnostics field that can help us to quantitatively assess liver steatosis, including continuous attenuation parameters in A and B ultrasound modes, backscatter coefficients (e.g., speed of sound) and ultrasound envelope statistic parametric imaging. The methods used in this field are widely available, have favorable time and financial profiles, and are well accepted by patients. Less is known about their reliability in defining the presence and degree of liver steatosis. Numerous study reports have shown the methods' favorable negative and positive predictive values in comparison with reference investigations (liver biopsy and MRI). Important research has also evaluated the role of these methods in diagnosing and monitoring non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Since NAFLD is becoming the dominant global cause of liver cirrhosis, and due to the close but complex interplay of liver steatosis with the coexistence of liver fibrosis, knowledge regarding NAFLD's influence on the progression of liver fibrosis is of crucial importance. Study findings, therefore, indicate the possibility of using these same diagnostic methods to evaluate the impact of NAFLD on the patient's liver fibrosis progression risk, metabolic risk factors, cardiovascular complications, and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. The mentioned areas are particularly important in light of the fact that most of the known chronic liver disease etiologies are increasingly intertwined with the simultaneous presence of NAFLD.

ABC: a novel algorithm to stratify decompensation risk in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (CHESS2108): an international, multicenter cohort study

BACKGROUND

Liver-related death is preceded by clinical decompensation; therefore, the risk stratification of decompensation in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) is extraordinary significant.

METHODS

The international, multicenter study included three cohorts from January 2009 to August 2021. In training cohort, the unfavorable Baveno VI criteria patients were used to develop the novel CHESS criteria to stratify decompensation risk. The Algorithm based on Baveno VI criteria plus CHESS criteria (ABC model) was validated in validation cohort, and used to diagnose clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) in hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG)-performed cohort.

RESULTS

A total of 1377 cACLD patients were enrolled. In training cohort, multivariate analysis revealed that liver stiffness measurement (LSM), platelet count (PLT), albumin, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and varices were the independent risk factors for hepatic decompensation. The novel CHESS criteria was produced (0.036 × LSM [kPa]) + (- 0.013 × PLT [109/L]) + (- 0.068 × Albumin [g/L])) + (- 0.016 × ALT [U/L]) + (0.651 × Varices [present: 1, absent: 0]), and < - 4.4, - 4.4 to - 3.1 and > - 3.1 indicated the low risk, medium risk, and high risk of decompensation, with a 3 year-time-dependent area under the curve (tAUC) of 0.851 (0.800-0.901). In validation cohort, the 3 year-tAUC of ABC model was 0.843 (0.742-0.943). Notably, in HVPG cohort, the high risk group was used to rule in CSPH with a positive predictive value of 93.0%.

CONCLUSIONS

The ABC model can stratify the risk of decompensation in cACLD. HVPG evaluation can be waived in both low risk and high risk cACLD patients as they can be managed by Baveno VI criteria and non-selective β-blockers intervention, respectively, and the remaining medium risk patients need further HVPG evaluation.

Quantification of Liver Fat Content with Ultrasound: A WFUMB Position Paper

New ultrasound methods that can be used to quantitatively assess liver fat content have recently been developed. These quantitative ultrasound (QUS) methods are based on the analysis of radiofrequency echoes detected by the transducer, allowing calculation of parameters for quantifying the fat in the liver. In this position paper, after a section dedicated to the importance of quantifying liver steatosis in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and another section dedicated to the assessment of liver fat with magnetic resonance, the current clinical studies performed using QUS are summarized. These new methods include spectral-based techniques and techniques based on envelope statistics. The spectral-based techniques that have been used in clinical studies are those estimating the attenuation coefficient and those estimating the backscatter coefficient. Clinical studies that have used tools based on the envelope statistics of the backscattered ultrasound are those performed by using the acoustic structure quantification or other parameters derived from it, such as the normalized local variance, and that performed by estimating the speed of sound. Experts' opinions are reported.

EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on non-invasive tests for evaluation of liver disease severity and prognosis - 2021 update

Non-invasive tests are increasingly being used to improve the diagnosis and prognostication of chronic liver diseases across aetiologies. Herein, we provide the latest update to the EASL Clinical Practice Guidelines on the use of non-invasive tests for the evaluation of liver disease severity and prognosis, focusing on the topics for which relevant evidence has been published in the last 5 years.

Diagnostic Performance of 2-D Shear-Wave Elastography with Propagation Maps and Attenuation Imaging in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

We aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of new 2-D shear-wave elastography (SWE) with propagation maps and attenuation imaging (ATI) for quantification of fibrosis and steatosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Consecutive patients with NAFLD and healthy volunteers underwent liver stiffness measurement and steatosis quantification by means of vibration-controlled transient elastography coupled with the controlled attenuation parameter as the reference and by 2-D shear-wave elastography (2-D-SWE) with propagation maps and ATI as the investigational methods. We included 232 participants (164 in the NAFLD group and 68 in the healthy control group): 51.7%/49.3% women/men; mean age, 54.2 ± 15.2 y; mean body mass index, 29.4 ± 6.5 kg/m². Significant correlations were found between 2-D-SWE and vibration-controlled transient elastography (r = 0.71, p < 0.0001) and between ATI and the controlled attenuation parameter (r = 0.72, p < 0.0001). NAFLD-specific 2-D-SWE liver stiffness measurement cutoffs were as follows-F ≥ 2: 7.9 kPa (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.91); F ≥ 3: 10 kPa (AUC = 0.92); and F = 4: 11.4 kPa (AUC = 0.95). For steatosis, the best cutoffs by ATI were as follows-S1 = 0.73 dB/cm/MHz (AUC = 0.86); S2 = 0.76 dB/cm/MHz (AUC = 0.86); and S3 = 0.80 dB/cm/MHz (AUC = 0.83). According to Baveno VI criteria, the optimal 2-D-SWE liver stiffness measurement for diagnosing liver cirrhosis is 15.5 kPa (AUC = 0.94), and for ruling out compensated advanced chronic liver disease it is 9.2 kPa (AUC = 0.92). To conclude, 2-D-SWE with propagation maps and ATI is reliable for quantification of liver fibrosis and steatosis in patients with NAFLD.

Changes in liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C after successful direct-acting antiviral therapy

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES

After successful treatment of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs), the stage of liver fibrosis decreases over time. Here, we aimed to assess the changes in the liver fibrosis stage using transient elastography (TE) after successful DAA therapy in HCV-infected cirrhotic patients who were referred to Shariati hospital from 2016 to 2017.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

In this observational cohort, all HCV-infected cirrhotic patients who were treated with a combination of sofosbuvir/daclatasvir, had sustained virologic response (SVR), and had undergone pre- and post-treatment TE, were enrolled. The primary outcome was the changes in TE parameters six months after the end of treatment compared with baseline.

RESULTS

A total of 442 eligible subjects received DAA therapy. Overall, the SVR rate was 96.6%. Of these, 149 patients had completed the protocol and were enrolled. The mean age of patients was 56.1 ± 10.3 years and the predominant sex was male (77.9%). The median (Q₁ -Q₃ ) liver stiffness (LS) value at baseline was 26.3 kPa (18.1-38 kPa), which significantly decreased to 20.9 kPa (12-29.7 kPa) [z = -8.45, P-value < .001]. Also, the liver steatosis of patients with baseline CAP ≥ 220 dB/m had a significant response to treatment [z = -2.3, P-value = .023]. Based on multivariate analysis, a higher baseline liver fibrosis stage was the only determinant of LS values improvement in our study.

CONCLUSION

Successful HCV eradication in patients with liver fibrosis results in significant improvement in LS, even in cirrhotic patients.

Ultrasound Elastography-Cornerstone of Non-Invasive Metabolic Dysfunction-Associated Fatty Liver Disease Assessment

Metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease has become the most common chronic liver disease as well as the most common cause for liver transplantation. With its different methods types, elastography of the liver can be used for non-invasive evaluation of the liver fibrosis and steatosis degree. The article focuses on the description, use, advantages, and limitations of the currently known elastographic techniques. It proposes a simple risk assessment algorithm for the liver fibrosis progress evaluation. The following is an overview of the use of liver and spleen elastography in the detection of clinically relevant portal hypertension. It concludes with research and technological possibilities that could be important to the field in the upcoming years.

Liver and Nonliver-Related Outcomes at 2 Years Are Not Influenced by the Results of the FIB-4 Test and Liver Elastography in a Real-Life Cohort of Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

AIMS

To investigate morbidity and mortality in a real-life cohort of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in relation to prevalence and severity of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).

METHODS

Patients with T2D were referred for assessment of liver fibrosis by the FIB-4 test and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE). Liver steatosis was quantified by the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). These patients were followed until death or censored date.

RESULTS

Among 454 patients (52% males, mean age 62.5 years, BMI 30.9 kg/m²), 82.6% was overweight, 77.8% had fatty liver, and 9.9% and 3.1% had LSM and FIB-4 values suggestive of advanced fibrosis, respectively. During the follow-up period of median 2 years, 106 (23%) patients experienced adverse event (11% cardiovascular) and 17 (3.7%) died, whereas no liver-related morbidity or mortality was observed. Independent predictors of adverse outcomes were age and higher platelet count, while FIB-4, LSM, and CAP were not.

CONCLUSION

In a cohort of T2D patients, no liver-related morbidity or mortality occurred during 2 years. Our patients probably have low real prevalence of advanced fibrosis which is likely overestimated by LSM ≥ 9.6 kPa. Liver fibrosis may be safely reassessed in the 2 years interval in noncirrhotic patients with T2D.

Quantitative assessment of liver steatosis using ultrasound controlled attenuation parameter (Echosens)

Controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is the algorithm available on the FibroScan system (Echosens, France) for quantification of liver steatosis. It assesses the ultrasound beam attenuation, which is directly related to liver fat content. The inter-observer reproducibility of the technique is high, with a reported concordance correlation coefficient of 0.82. Specific quality criteria for CAP measurements are not clearly defined yet, and there are conflicting results in the literature. Using liver biopsy as the reference standard, several studies have assessed the CAP performance in grading liver steatosis, and have reported that values are not affected by liver fibrosis. The cutoff for detection of liver steatosis reported in the literature ranges from 222 decibels per meter (dB/m) in a cohort of patients with chronic hepatitis C to 294 dB/m in a meta-analysis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. CAP has been used as a tool to noninvasively evaluate the prevalence of NAFLD in groups at risk or in the general population; however, it should be underscored that different CAP cutoffs for steatosis detection (S > 0) were used in different studies, and this limits the robustness of the findings. CAP, alone or combined with other noninvasive indices or biomarkers, has been proposed as a tool for assessing nonalcoholic steatohepatitis or as a noninvasive predictor of prognosis in patients with chronic liver disease. CAP is easy to perform and has become a point-of-care technique. However, there is a large overlap of values between consecutive grades of liver steatosis, and cutoffs are not clearly defined.

Noninvasive Markers of Portal Hypertension Detect Decompensation in Overweight or Obese Patients With Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Some patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) require use of an extralarge probe for liver stiffness measurement (LSM), owing to overweight or obesity. However, the ability of noninvasive markers of portal hypertension and the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) to determine which of these patients are at risk for decompensation has not been fully assessed.

METHODS

We collected data from 272 patients with cACLD (LSM ≥10 kPa by XL probe; 57% with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; mean body mass index, 33.8 ± 6.5 kg/m²; median Child-Pugh score, 5; median LSM, 16.8 kPa; mean CAP, 318 ± 66 dB/m) evaluated at 2 academic centers from 2015 through 2018. We collected clinical data on decompensation (ascites, portal hypertension bleeding, jaundice, hepatic encephalopathy) and severe bacterial infections; patients were followed up for a median of 17 months (interquartile range, 11-24 mo). We evaluated associations between these events and LSM, CAP, LSM∗spleen size/platelet count (LSPS), and portal hypertension risk scores.

RESULTS

Decompensation occurred in 12 patients and severe bacterial infections developed in 5 patients. LSM, LSPS, and the portal hypertension risk score identified patients with decompensation with area under the receiver operating characteristic curve values of 0.848 (95% CI, 0.720-0.976; P < .0001), 0.881 (95% CI, 0.798-0.954; P < .0001), and 0.890 (95% CI, 0.814-0.966; P < .0001), respectively. In multivariate Cox regression analysis, in patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, LSM and CAP were associated independently with decompensation and severe bacterial infection; CAP ≥ 220 dB/m was associated with a reduced risk of decompensation (hazard ratio, 0.043, 95% CI, 0.004-0.476; P = .01).

CONCLUSIONS

LSM, LSPS, and the portal hypertension risk score identify obese or overweight patients with cACLD who are at increased risk of decompensation and severe bacterial infection.

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.

Prevalence of and risk factors for anaemia in patients with advanced chronic liver disease

BACKGROUND

Anaemia is common in advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD) as a result of various risk factors.

AIMS & METHODS

We evaluated the prevalence and severity of anaemia as well as the impact of anaemia on clinical outcomes in consecutive patients with ACLD and portal hypertension.

RESULTS

Among 494 patients, 324 (66%) patients had anaemia. Anaemic patients showed higher MELD (12 ± 4 vs 9 ± 3; P < .001), lower albumin (34 ± 6 vs 39 ± 5 g/dL; P < .001) and more often Child-Pugh B/C stage (56% vs 17%; P < .001). The prevalence of moderate-severe anaemia (haemoglobin <10 g/dL) increased with the degree of portal hypertension (HVPG: 6-9 mm Hg: 22% vs HVPG: 10-19 mm Hg: 24% vs HVPG ≥ 20 mm Hg: 36%; P = .031). The most common aetiologies of anaemia were gastrointestinal bleeding (25%) and iron deficiency (9%), while reason for anaemia remained unclear in 53% of cases. Male gender (odds ratio [OR]: 1.94 [95% CI: 1.09-3.47]; P = .025), MELD (OR: 1.20 [95% CI: 1.09-1.32]; P < .001), hepatic decompensation (OR: 4.40 [95% CI: 2.48-7.82]; P < .001) and HVPG (OR per mm Hg: 1.07 [95% CI: 1.02-1.13]; P = .004) were independent risk factors for anaemia. Anaemia was associated with hepatic decompensation (1 year: 25.1% vs 8.1%; 5 years: 60.3% vs 32.9%; P < .0001), hospitalization (73% vs 57%; P < .001) and a higher incidence rate of acute-on-chronic liver failure (0.05 [95% CI: 0.04-0.07] vs 0.03 [95% CI: 0.01-0.04]). Anaemic patients had worse overall survival (1 year: 87.1% vs 93.7%, 5 year survival: 50.5% vs 68.6%; P < .0001) and increased liver-related mortality (1 year mortality: 9.7% vs 5.7%, 5 year mortality: 38.0% vs 26.9%; P = .003).

CONCLUSION

Two-thirds of patients with ACLD suffer from anaemia. The degree of hepatic dysfunction and of portal hypertension correlate with severity of anaemia. Anaemia is associated with decompensation, ACLF and increased mortality in patients with ACLD.

Performance of Controlled Attenuation Parameter in Patients with Advanced Chronic Liver Disease and Portal Hypertension

BACKGROUND

Liver stiffness (LS) measured by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is influenced by liver fibrosis and hepatic perfusion pressure. VCTE-based controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) is a noninvasive marker for hepatic steatosis (HS).

AIMS

To investigate the diagnostic performance of CAP in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD)/portal hypertension (PHT: hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) ≥ 6 mmHg).

METHODS

Eighty-eight patients with LS ≥ 10 kPa and/or HVPG ≥ 6 mmHg who underwent simultaneous liver biopsy, CAP, and HVPG measurement were included. HS was histologically graded according to the modified Brunt classification.

RESULTS

Patient characteristics: Mean MELD:11 (standard derivation [SD] ± 4), median HVPG:16 (interquartile range [IQR]10-19) mmHg, median LS:27.4 (IQR 16.2-48.9) kPa, and mean CAP:221 (SD ± 75) dB/m. According to histology, 47 (53.4%) patients had no HS (S0), 28 (31.8%) had S1, 11 (12.5%) had S2, and 2 (2.3%) had S3. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of CAP for diagnosing any HS (S0 vs. ≥ S1) was 0.692 (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 0.582-0.802) in the overall cohort, 0.830 (95% CI 0.637-1.0) in patients with HVPG < 10 mmHg, and 0.629 (95% CI 0.497-0.761) in patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH; HVPG ≥ 10 mmHg; n = 69). Using the established cutoff for any HS (248 dB/m), the sensitivity/specificity of CAP was only 48.8%/76.6%, respectively. In contrast, the AUROC and sensitivity/specificity (cutoff 268 dB/m) for diagnosing HS ≥ S2 were 0.842 (95% CI 0.747-0.936) and 84.6%/81.3%, respectively. CAP correlated with the percentage of steatotic hepatocytes (Spearman's ρ = 0.402; p ≤ 0.001) and showed a weak correlation with liver stiffness (ρ = 0.225; p = 0.035).

CONCLUSIONS

The diagnostic performance of CAP for any HS seems to be limited in patients with ACLD, if CSPH is present.

Application of guidelines for the management of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in three prospective cohorts of HIV-monoinfected patients

OBJECTIVES

Current guidelines recommend use of a diagnostic algorithm to assess disease severity in cases of suspected nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We applied this algorithm to HIV-monoinfected patients.

METHODS

We analysed three prospective screening programmes for NAFLD carried out in the following cohorts: the Liver Disease in HIV (LIVEHIV) cohort in Montreal, the Modena HIV Metabolic Clinic (MHMC) cohort and the Liver Pathologies in HIV in Palermo (LHivPa) cohort. In the LIVEHIV and LHivPa cohorts, NAFLD was diagnosed if the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) was ≥ 248 dB/m; in the MHMC cohort, it was diagnosed if the liver/spleen Hounsfield unit (HU) ratio on abdominal computerized tomography scan was < 1.1. Medium/high-risk fibrosis category was defined as fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) ≥ 1.30. Patients requiring specialist referral to hepatology were defined as either having NAFLD and being in the medium/high-risk fibrosis category or having elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT).

RESULTS

A total of 1534 HIV-infected adults without significant alcohol intake or viral hepatitis coinfection were included in the study. Of these, 313 (20.4%) patients had the metabolic comorbidities (obesity and/or diabetes) required for entry in the diagnostic algorithm. Among these patients, 123 (39.3%) required specialist referral to hepatology, according to guidelines. A total of 1062 patients with extended metabolic comorbidities (any among obesity, diabetes, hypertension and dyslipidaemia) represented most of the cases of NAFLD (79%), elevated ALT (75.9%) and medium/high-risk fibrosis category (75.4%). When the algorithm was extended to these patients, it was found that 341 (32.1%) would require specialist referral to hepatology.

CONCLUSIONS

According to current guidelines, one in five HIV-monoinfected patients should undergo detailed assessment for NAFLD and disease severity. Moreover, one in ten should be referred to hepatology. Expansion of the algorithm to patients with any metabolic comorbidities may be considered.

Multiparametric ultrasound in liver diseases: an overview for the practising clinician

Ultrasound (US) is usually the first and most commonly used tool in the diagnostic algorithm for liver disease. It is widely available, non-invasive and offers a real-time assessment of the liver in several anatomic planes, using different US modalities such as greyscale imaging, Doppler, elastography and contrast-enhanced US. This multiparametric ultrasound (MPUS) provides more information of the examined structures and allows for a faster and more accurate diagnosis, usually at the point of care, thus reducing the requirement for some invasive and more expensive methods. Current data on the MPUS in hepatology are summarised in this review, mostly focused on its use for non-invasive staging of liver fibrosis, detection and classification of portal hypertension and oesophageal varices, prognosis in chronic liver diseases and characterisation of focal liver lesions (FLLs). Based on the available data, we propose practical algorithms for clinical use of MPUS in chronic liver disease and FLL.