Noninvasive Assessment of Portal Hypertension in Advanced Chronic Liver Disease: An Update

Utility of liver stiffness measurement in the diagnosis of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome/veno-occlusive disease after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation

PURPOSE

We aimed to assess the role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM), evaluated using transient elastography (TE), for the diagnosis of sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS)/veno-occlusive disease (VOD), a complication of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT).

METHODS

In this retrospective study, ultrasonography (US) and LSM were performed on 86 adult patients (55 men and 31 women) undergoing HSCT between January 2016 and December 2022. Characteristics and changes in liver stiffness (LS) were compared between patients with and without SOS/VOD.

RESULTS

Of the 86 patients, 14 were diagnosed with SOS/VOD. A significant increase in LS (ranging from 12.6 to 55.1 kPa, median 23.8 kPa) compared to pre-HSCT values was observed in all patients who developed SOS/VOD. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) for the diagnosis of SOS/VOD was 0.9663 (0.933-0.995) for LS ≥ 17.4 kPa after HSCT. Post-transplant LS exceeded 17.4 kPa in all 14 patients in the SOS/VOD group (100%) and in seven patients in the non-SOS/VOD group (9.7%). The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 90.3%, respectively. AUROC for the diagnosis of SOS/VOD was 0.973 (0.943-1.000) for LS increase ≥  + 12.6 kPa from baseline after HSCT. The change of ≥  + 12.6 kPa from baseline was observed in all 14 patients in the SOS/VOD group (100%) and in four patients in the non-SOS/VOD group (5.6%). The sensitivity and specificity were 100% and 94.4%, respectively.

CONCLUSION

LSM using TE may contribute to establishing the diagnosis of SOS/VOD after HSCT.

Methods for assessing portal hypertension

Many researchers and clinicians have taken the value of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) as an essential prognostic factor in subjects with chronic liver diseases. HVPG ≥ 10 mmHg indicates the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension, the main predictor of the risk of variceal bleeding, hepatic decompensation, and mortality. However, HVPG measurement is invasive and requires high expertise, so its routine use outside tertiary care centers or clinical trials is limited. Clinically significant portal hypertension also might be detected using non-invasive options such as ultrasonography, elastography, magnetic resonance imaging, and indices derived from laboratory parameters. Our review aims to present the feasibility and applicability of HVPG in modern clinical practice in patients with liver cirrhosis, including invasive and non-invasive methods, based on literary sources from the MEDLINE database.

Utility of ElastPQ point-shear wave elastography in the work-up of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis

Background & Aims

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) have been shown to be useful tools for assessing the risk of fibrosis and portal hypertension, respectively. However, data on the accuracy of LSM and SSM measured by point-shear wave elastography (pSWE) in patients affected by primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) are still lacking. Thus, we aimed to prospectively assess their performance in a cohort of patients with PSC.

Methods

We determined the correlation between LSM assessed by a pSWE technique (ElastPQ) and by FibroScan-transient elastography (F-TE). Furthermore, we used receiver-operating characteristic curves and area under the curves (AUROC) to evaluate the performance of LSM by ElastPQ for the staging of fibrosis, using F-TE as a reference standard, and the performance of LSM and SSM by ElastPQ in predicting the presence of oesophageal varices (OVs).

Results

One hundred and fifty-two patients with PSC (93 males [61.2%], mean age 46 ± 16 years) were prospectively recruited. ElastPQ and F-TE LSMs were available for all patients, while ElastPQ SSM was available in 109 (72%) patients of whom 35 underwent upper gastrointestinal endoscopy within 1 year of the ultrasound assessment. ElastPQ LSM showed an excellent correlation with F-TE (p <0.001, Spearman's 0.93; Lin's 0.86) and a good diagnostic accuracy for fibrosis staging along all stages of liver fibrosis (AUROCs 0.96, 0.97, 0.97 and 0.99 for fibrosis stages F≥1, F≥2, F≥3 and F=4, respectively), using F-TE as a surrogate of histological fibrosis. ElastPQ SSM showed a good diagnostic performance in predicting the presence of OVs at endoscopy.

Conclusions

LSM and SSM by ElastPQ can be used as accurate tools for liver fibrosis risk assessment and fibrosis staging, as well as for predicting the presence of OVs in the work-up of patients with PSC.

Impact and implications

Liver and spleen stiffness measurement (LSM and SSM, respectively) by ElastPQ point-shear wave elastography in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis represent reliable and reproducible tools for non-invasively staging the severity of liver disease and stratifying patients according to their risk of developing liver-related outcomes. In particular, LSM shows good accuracy for staging liver fibrosis and therefore detecting those patients at high risk of having compensated advanced chronic liver disease who require close monitoring. SSM seems to be promising to detect the risk of portal hypertension and therefore of oesophageal varices, enabling the triaging of patients who really need to undergo a screening endoscopy.

Use of Sound Touch Elastography and Sound Touch Quantification for the Noninvasive Evaluation of Portal Hypertension in a Rat Model

OBJECTIVES

In this study, we used the recently developed ultrasound elastography techniques sound touch elastography (STE) and sound touch quantification (STQ) to quantify portal hypertension (PHT) severity in a rat model of carbon tetrachloride (CCl₄ )-induced cirrhotic PHT.

METHODS

In total, 60 rats were used. Various degrees of PHT were established. Liver and spleen stiffness were measured by STE (L-STE and S-STE, respectively) and STQ (L-STQ and S-STQ, respectively). We measured portal pressure (PP) after ultrasonographic examination. The performance of the STE and STQ parameters in the identification of PHT was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses.

RESULTS

Liver and spleen stiffness measurements obtained with STE and STQ correlated positively with the PP (r = 0.566-0.882, all P < .001). The areas under ROC curves for L-STE, S-STE, L-STQ, and S-STQ values were 0.931 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.847-1.000), 0.982 (95% CI, 0.956-1.000), 0.796 (95% CI, 0.680-0.912), and 0.925 (95% CI, 0.858-0.993), respectively, for PP ≥5 mmHg; 0.937 (95% CI, 0.865-1.000), 0.938 (95% CI, 0.864-1.000), 0.967 (95% CI, 0.923-1.000), and 0.960 (95% CI, 0.897-1.000), respectively, for PP ≥10 mmHg; and 0.954 (95% CI, 0.897-1.000), 0.790 (95% CI, 0.652-0.928), 0.808 (95% CI, 0.680-0.935), and 0.740 (95% CI, 0.595-0.885), respectively, for PP ≥12 mmHg.

CONCLUSIONS

STE and STQ are reliable noninvasive tools for the assessment of PHT severity, especially for PP ≥10 mmHg, in a rat model of CCl₄ -induced cirrhotic PHT.

High correlation of hepatic shear wave velocity with esophageal varices complication rate in patients with chronic liver diseases

BACKGROUND

Histological evaluation by liver biopsy is considered the gold standard for assessing liver disease; however, it is highly invasive. Non-invasive liver stiffness measurement by shear wave elastography (SWE) is effective for evaluating the hepatic fibrosis stage and related diseases. In this study, we investigated the correlations of liver stiffness with hepatic inflammation/fibrosis, functional hepatic reserve, and related diseases in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD).

METHODS

Shear wave velocity (Vs) values were measured using point SWE in 71 patients with liver disease from 2017 to 2019. Liver biopsy specimens and serum biomarkers were collected at the same time, and splenic volume was measured using computed tomography images with the software Ziostation2. Esophageal varices (EV) were evaluated by upper gastrointestinal endoscopy.

RESULTS

Among CLD-related function and complications, Vs values were highly correlated with liver fibrosis and EV complication rates. The median Vs values for liver fibrosis grades F0, F1, F2, F3, and F4 were 1.18, 1.34, 1.39, 1.80, and 2.12 m/s, respectively. Comparison of receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to predict cirrhosis showed that area under the ROC (AUROC) curve for Vs values was 0.902, which was not significantly different from the AUROCs for the FIB-4 index, platelet count, hyaluronic acid, or type IV collagen 7S, while it was significantly different from the AUROC for mac-2 binding protein glycosylation isomer (M2BPGi) (P < 0.01). Comparison of ROC curves to predict EV showed that the AUROC for Vs values was 0.901, which was significantly higher than the AUROCs for FIB-4 index (P < 0.05), platelet count (P < 0.05), M2BPGi (P < 0.01), hyaluronic acid (P < 0.05), and splenic volume (P < 0.05). In patients with advanced liver fibrosis (F3 + F4), there was no difference in blood markers and splenic volume, while Vs value was significantly higher in patients with EV (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Hepatic shear wave velocity was highly correlated with EV complication rates in chronic liver diseases as compared to blood markers and splenic volume. In advanced CLD patients, Vs values of SWE are suggested to be effective in predicting the appearance of EV noninvasively.

Individual and population screening of varices needing treatment by a simple, safe and accurate test

BACKGROUND

Several tests have been developed to screen VNT in different screening settings. We aimed to develop simple estimators to quantify VNT risk and spare endoscopy while missing <5% of VNT, adapted to different screenings in the main etiologies.

METHODS

2,368 patients with chronic liver disease were included. The main VNT predictors were platelets, prothrombin index (PI) and LSM. Their interactions led to score construction, LIP: (LSM*45)/(PI*platelets), and BLIP: BMI-adjusted LIP in NAFLD. Scores were categorized either for population (VNT sensitivity ≥95%) or individual (negative predictive value ≥95%) VNT screening.

RESULTS

1) Scores diagnosing VNT. AUROCs were, PLER: 0.767 Anticipate: 0.773 (p=0.059 vs previous), LIP: 0.779 (p=0.136), PLEASE: 0.789 (p=0.196). 2) Population screening performance was in increasing order (with missed VNT rate), Baveno₆ criteria: 23.9% (2.5%), Anticipate 24.5%, p=0.367 vs previous (3.3%), PLER 27.3%, p<0.001 (3.6%), LIP 33.4%, p<0.001 (4.2%), PLEASE 35.2%, p=0.006 (3.6%). In NAFLD, LIP 38.6%, BLIP 40.8%, p=0.038. 3) Individual screening performance was, expanded Baveno₆ criteria: 42.7%, LIP 54.1%, p<0.001. In NAFLD, performance was, NAFLD-cirrhosis criteria: 66.7%, BLIP 74.6%, p<0.001.

CONCLUSION

LIP combined simplicity, performance and safety in each etiology. In NAFLD, BMI-adjusted LIP outperformed other tests.

Diagnostic accuracy of liver stiffness on two-dimensional shear wave elastography for detecting clinically significant portal hypertension: a meta-analysis

PURPOSE

Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) has recently been proposed to detect clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH), we aimed to perform a meta-analysis based on the published data to assess the diagnostic accuracy of 2D-SWE for detecting CSPH.

METHOD

Literature databases were searched up until 1 August 2021. The summary area under receiver operating characteristics curve (AUROC), the summary diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and the summary sensitivity and specificity were used to examine the accuracy of 2D-SWE for evaluating CSPH. Heterogeneity was explored using meta-regression.

RESULTS

Finally 9 studies with 956 patients were included in this study for evaluation and meta-analysis. 2D-SWE showed good diagnostic performance for detecting CSPH with a summary sensitivity of 83% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 76%-88%) and summary specificity of 78% (95% CI: 65%-87%); the summary AUROC was 0.88 (95% CI: 0.84-0.90). Summary positive likelihood ratio (LR), negative LR, and DOR of 2D-SWE for detecting CSPH were 3.7 (95% CI: 2.4-5.9), 0.22 (95% CI: 0.16-0.30), and 17 (95% CI: 10-29), respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

2D-SWE showed good performance in diagnosing CSPH and can be considered as an important and noninvasive adjunctive approach in the management of patients with CSPH.

A Combined Baveno VII and Spleen Stiffness Algorithm to Improve the Noninvasive Diagnosis of Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension in Patients With Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease

INTRODUCTION

A noninvasive diagnosis of clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) has important prognostic and therapeutic implications for patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease. We aimed to validate and improve the available algorithms for the CSPH diagnosis by evaluating spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease.

METHODS

This is a retrospective study including patients with liver stiffness measurement (LSM) ≥10 kPa, no previous decompensation, and available measurements of hepatic venous pressure gradient, LSM, and SSM by transient elastography referring to our center in Bologna. The diagnostic algorithms were adequate if negative and positive predictive values were >90% when ruling out and ruling in CSPH, respectively; these models were validated in a cohort from Verona. The 5-year decompensation rate was reported.

RESULTS

One hundred fourteen patients were included in the derivation cohort. The Baveno VII diagnostic algorithm (LSM ≤15 kPa + platelet count ≥150 × 10 9 /L to rule out CSPH and LSM >25 kPa to rule in CSPH) was validated; however, 40%-60% of the patients remained in the gray zone. The addition of SSM (40 kPa) to the model significantly reduced the gray zone to 7%-15%, maintaining adequate negative and positive predictive values. The diagnostic algorithms were validated in a cohort of 81 patients from Verona. All first decompensation events occurred in the "rule-in" zone of the model including SSM.

DISCUSSION

The addition of SSM significantly improves the clinical applicability of the algorithm based on LSM and platelet count for CSPH diagnosis. Our models can be used to noninvasively identify candidates for nonselective beta-blocker treatment and patients at a high risk of decompensation.

High reproducibility of spleen stiffness measurement by vibration-controlled transient elastography with a spleen-dedicated module

Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is a noninvasive technique for estimating portal hypertension in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD), with its reproducibility yet to be established and its feasibility still unknown beyond CLD. We have studied 420 participants from two tertiary referral centers for liver diseases (Novara, Milan): 297 patients with CLD (32% with cirrhosis) of different etiology (Group A), 63 Philadelphia-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (Group B), and 60 heathy volunteers (Group C). All underwent SSM by VCTE with a spleen-dedicated module (SSM@100 Hz) and liver stiffness measurement (LSM), blindly performed by 2 different operators. In total, 1680 VCTE examinations for SSM were performed (1000 in Novara, 680 in Milan), with an overall 3.2% failure rate. Median SSM was 26.5 kPa (interquartile range [IQR] 20.0-42.3) in Group A, 26.3 kPa (IQR 22.3-33.6) in Group B, and 16.1 kPa (IQR 14.6-18.7) in Group C. In Group A, the median LSM was 6.8 kPa (IQR 4.9-11.3) in Novara and 8.3 kPa (IQR 7.1-10.8) in Milan, the proportion of patients with cirrhosis being 34% in Novara and 31% in Milan. The Group A interobserver agreement ICC was 0.90 (0.88-0.92), significantly lower in the absence of splenomegaly (ICC 0.87 vs. 0.91) and in absence of cirrhosis (ICC 0.84 vs. 0.90); overweight slightly, but not significantly reduced the interobserveragreement. The intra-observer agreement ICC ranged from 0.91 to 0.96 for the four operators. The Group B interobserver agreement ICC was 0.90 (0.83-0.94). In conclusion, SSM measured by the new spleen-dedicated VCTE module is a feasible, reliable, and highly reproducible tool in patients with CLD and hematological disorders, and in healthy volunteers.

Comparison of screening strategies with two new tests to score and diagnose varices needing treatment

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

We aimed to improve non-invasive screening of varices needing treatment (VNT) and compare different screening strategies.

METHODS

2,290 patients with chronic liver disease were included in a retrospective study. Etiologies were: virus: 50.0%, NAFLD: 29.5%, alcohol: 20.5%, VNT: 14.9%. Test descriptors were performance (spared endoscopy) and safety (missed VNT). VNT tests were evaluated according to their safety levels either for individual screening (95% negative predictive value (NPV)), population screening (95% sensitivity) or undifferentiated screening (100% sensitivity/NPV) without missed VNT. The tests provided three categories: missed VNT <5%, VNT 100% specificity (new category), both sparing endoscopies, and intermediate (endoscopy required).

RESULTS

Independent VNT predictors (etiology, sex, age, platelets, prothrombin index, albumin, ALT, liver stiffness) were included in two tests: VNT virus alcohol NAFLD test (VANT) and varice risk score (VARS). We report results of the whole population. Considering population screening, performances were, Baveno VI criteria: 24.1%, Anticipate: 24.7%, VariScreen: 35.3%, VANT: 40.2% (p<0.001 vs other tests). VANT spared 58.0% more endoscopies in the whole population than Baveno criteria in compensated advanced chronic liver diseases. Considering individual screening, VARS performance was, in all patients: 62.0% vs 42.9% for the expanded Baveno VI criteria (p<0.001), and, in NAFLD: 72.8% vs 65.1% for the NAFLD cirrhosis criteria (p<0.001). Considering undifferentiated screening, VARS performance was 12%. The VARS score estimated VNT probability from 0 to 100% (AUROC: 0.826).

CONCLUSION

VANT and VARS spared from 12% (undifferentiated screening) to 40% (population screening) or 62% (individual screening) of endoscopies in main-etiology patients without ascites.

Management of Portal Hypertension

Portal hypertension is the cause of the clinical complications associated with cirrhosis. The primary complications of portal hypertension are ascites, acute variceal bleed, and hepatic encephalopathy. Hepatic venous pressure gradient measurement remains the gold standard test for diagnosing cirrhosis-related portal hypertension. Hepatic venous pressure gradient more than 10 mmHg is associated with an increased risk of complications and is termed clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). Clinical, laboratory, and imaging methods can also aid in diagnosing CSPH non-invasively. Recently, deep learning methods have been demonstrated to diagnose CSPH effectively. The management of portal hypertension is always individualized and is dependent on the etiology, the availability of therapies, and the degree of portal hypertension complications. In this review, we discuss the diagnosis and management of cirrhosis-related portal hypertension in detail. Also, we highlight the history of portal hypertension and future research areas in portal hypertension.

Network Meta-Analysis: Noninvasive Imaging Modalities for Identifying Clinically Significant Portal Hypertension

BACKGROUND

Although measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the current reference standard for obtaining portal venous pressures, several noninvasive imaging-based modalities have been proposed as alternatives.

AIMS

We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the diagnostic accuracy of noninvasive imaging approaches for identifying clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH).

METHODS

Two independent reviewers conducted a literature search of PubMed, SCOPUS, and the Cochrane Library from inception until January 5, 2021. The following imaging modalities were compared to HVPG: computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), magnetic resonance elastography, ultrasound, transient elastography (TE), shear wave elastography (SWE), acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), and subharmonic-aided pressure estimation (SHAPE). Sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the curve (AUC) for summary receiver operating characteristic were calculated using both frequentist random effects and Bayesian network meta-analytic approaches.

RESULTS

We analyzed 45 studies of 5678 patients. A broad overlapping confidence interval (CI) of DOR was observed among different imaging modalities: ARFI (30.5; 95% CI 12.7-73.3), CEUS and SHAPE (21.1; 95% CI 6.4-69.8), TE of liver stiffness (21.1; 95% CI 13.3-33.5), CT and MRI (13.7; 95% CI 7.40-25.4), SWE of liver stiffness (10.5; 95% CI 5.2-21.1), and ultrasound (9.5; 95% CI 4.9-18.4). The AUC of all imaging methods exceeded 0.8, indicating very good performance. At a cutoff of 80% specificity, TE, CEUS, and SHAPE exceeded 80% sensitivity.

CONCLUSION

Overall, noninvasive imaging modalities perform well for identifying CSPH. Clinicians should consider these noninvasive and cost-efficient tests when diagnosing CSPH.

The Value of Liver and Spleen Stiffness for Evaluation of Portal Hypertension in Compensated Cirrhosis

Patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease who develop clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) are at high risk for hepatic decompensation and mortality if left untreated. Liver biopsy and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) measurements are the current gold standard procedures for determining fibrosis severity and diagnosing CSPH, respectively; however, both are invasive, limiting their use in clinical practice and larger trials of novel agents. As such, there is an unmet clinical need for reliable, validated, noninvasive measures to detect CSPH and to further assess portal hypertension (PH) severity. Alterations in the biomechanical properties of the liver or spleen in patients with cirrhosis can be quantified by tissue elastography, which examines the elastic behavior of tissue after a force has been applied. A variety of methods are available, including magnetic resonance elastography, shear-wave elastography, and the most thoroughly investigated measure, vibration-controlled transient elastography. Liver stiffness (LS) and spleen stiffness (SS) measurements offer valuable alternatives to detect and monitor CSPH. Both LS and SS correlate well with HVPG, with thresholds of LS >20-25 kPa and SS >40-45 kPa indicating a high likelihood of CSPH. Because SS is a direct and dynamic surrogate of portal pressure, it has the potential to monitor PH severity and assess PH improvement as a surrogate marker for clinical outcomes. Importantly, SS seems to be superior to LS for monitoring treatment response in clinical trials focusing on reducing PH.

Assessment of liver stiffness measurement and ultrasound findings change during inotuzumab ozogamicin cycles for relapsed or refractory acute lymphoblastic leukemia

In adult patients, acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare hematological cancer with a cure rate below 50% and frequent relapses. With traditional therapies, patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) ALL have a survival that may be measured in months; in these patients, inotuzumab ozogamicin (IO) is an effective therapy. IO was linked to increased risk of veno-occlusive disease/sinusoid obstruction syndrome (VOD/SOS), liver injury, and various grade of liver-related complications during clinical trials and real-life settings; however, hepatologic monitoring protocol is not established in this population. In our institution, 21 patients who received IO (median of 6 doses of IO administered) for R/R ALL were prospectively followed for hepatologic surveillance, including clinical evaluation, ultrasonography, and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) biochemistry. After a median follow-up of 17.2 months, two SOS events were reported (both after allogeneic transplant) as IO potentially related clinically relevant adverse event. Mild alterations were reported in almost the totality of patients and moderate-severe liver biochemical alterations in a quarter of patients. Within biochemicals value, AST and ALP showed an augment related to IO administration. LSM linearly augmented for each IO course administered. Baseline LSM was related to liver-related changes, especially with the severity of portal hypertension (PH)-related complications. Pre-transplant LSM was higher in patients receiving IO when compared with a control cohort. PH-related complications were discovered in nearly 77% of patients, with clinically significant PH occurrence and development of ascites in 38% and 14%, respectively. This prospective experience constitutes the rationale to design a hepatologic monitoring program in patients receiving IO. LSM may be of pivotal importance in this program, constituting a rapid and effective screening that quantitatively correlates with liver alterations.

Portal Hypertension in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease in the Era of Non-invasive Assessment

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is one of the emerging global health problems due to an increase of burden worldwide. It has been known that NAFLD is strongly associated with metabolic syndrome. The progression of NAFLD is a complex and multifactorial mechanism. Portal hypertension is still the main key in liver disease progression management. In NAFLD, portal hypertension might occur in the non-cirrhotic condition. Hepatic vein pressure gradient measurement has been considered as the gold standard for portal pressure assessment; however, due to its invasiveness and the need for a high-expertise centre, it is considered a non-practical measurement tool in clinical practice. Many other non-invasive parameters have been developed to replace the invasive measurement; however, there are still some limitations with regard to the technical issue, patient’s condition, and its accuracy in the different stages of the disease. Therefore, the authors review portal hypertension related to the clinical course of NAFLD, and the development of portal pressure evaluation in patients with NAFLD.

Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Score Can Be Used to Predict Liver-Related Events in Patients With Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis and Compensated Cirrhosis

There is a growing need for a noninvasive tool to identify patients at higher risk of hepatic decompensation among individuals with compensated nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) cirrhosis.¹ Hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) has value in risk stratification² and prediction of mortality among cirrhotics³ but has limitations of being invasive, costly, and a requirement for expertise.⁴ The Enhanced Liver Fibrosis (ELF) score is based on circulating markers of hepatic matrix turnover and consists of hyaluronic acid, TIMP-1 (tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinases-1), and PIIINP (propeptide of type III collagen). It identifies nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients with advanced fibrosis quite reliably.^5,6 However, its utility as a prognostic biomarker among individuals with compensated cirrhosis due to NASH is unclear. This study evaluated the prognostic significance of the ELF score for predicting short-term liver-related outcomes among patients with compensated NASH cirrhosis.

The role of liver and spleen elastography in advanced chronic liver disease

Portal hypertension is the main driver of complications in patients with advanced chronic liver disease (ACLD). In the last decade, many non-invasive tests, such us liver and spleen elastography, have been proposed and validated for the identification of patients with clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH) and its complications, mainly hepatic decompensation and liver-related morbidity and mortality. Moreover, elastography accurately stratifies for the risk of HCC development, HCC recurrence and decompensation after liver surgery. Recent studies suggest a role of SSM in monitoring response to treatments and interventions in ACLD, such as viral eradication, non-selective beta-blockers and transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt placement. However, one of the most indications to perform elastography in ACLD still remains the screening for esophageal varices. In fact, according to the Baveno VI consensus, liver stiffness measurement (LSM) <20 kPa and platelet count >150,000/mm³ can safely identify patients at low risk of varices requiring treatment (VNT) and could therefore avoid invasive upper invasive endoscopy; LSM>20-25 kPa can accurately rule-in CSPH in patients with viral etiology. Spleen stiffness measurement (SSM) is a direct surrogate of portal hypertension and has been demonstrated more accurate in predicting portal hypertension severity and VNT. A combined model including Baveno VI Criteria and SSM (≤46 kPa) can significantly increase the number of spared endoscopies (>40-50%), maintaining a low (<5%) of missed VNT.

Assessing Baveno VI Criteria Using Liver Stiffness Measured with a 2D-Shear Wave Elastography Technique

The present study evaluates the performance of Baveno VI criteria, using liver stiffness (LS) assessed with a 2D-SWE elastography technique, for predicting high-risk varices (HRV) in patients with compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD). A secondary aim was to determine whether the use of spleen stiffness measurements (SSMs), as additional criteria, increases the performance of the 2D-SWE Baveno VI criteria. Data were collected from 208 subjects with cACLD, who underwent abdominal ultrasound, liver and spleen stiffness measurements, and upper digestive endoscopy. HRV were defined as grade 1 esophageal varices (EV) with red wale marks, grade 2/3 EV, and gastric varices. A total of 35.6% (74/208) of the included subjects had HRV. The optimal LS cut-off value for predicting HRV was 12 kPa (AUROC-0.80). Using both LS cut-off value < 12 kPa and a platelet cut-off value > 150 × 109 cells/L as criteria to exclude HRV, 52/208 (25%) subjects were selected, 88.5% (46/52) were without EV, 9.6% (5/52) had grade 1 EV, and 1.9% (1/52) had HRV. Thus 98% of the subjects were correctly classified as having or not having HRV and 25% of the surveillance endoscopies could have been avoided. Using SS < 13.2 kPa and a platelet cut-off value > 150 × 109 cells/L as additional criteria for the patients that were outside the initial ones, 32.7% of the surveillance endoscopies could have been avoided.

Spleen Stiffness for Predicting Varices Needing Treatment: Comparison between Two Different Elastography Techniques (Point vs. 2D-SWE)

The study aimed to establish the benefits of using spleen stiffness values measured by two elastography techniques as noninvasive markers for predicting varices needing treatment and comparing their performances. A prospective study was performed, including 107 subjects with compensated liver cirrhosis, who underwent upper digestive endoscopy, as well as spleen stiffness measurements by means of two elastography techniques: pSWE (point shear wave elastography using Virtual Touch Quantification-Siemens Acuson S2000) and 2D-SWE (2D-shear wave elastography-LOGIQ E9, General Electric). Reliable spleen stiffness measurements were obtained in 96.2% (103/107) patients by means of 2D-SWE and in 94.4% (101/107) subjects with pSWE; therefore, 98 subjects were included in the final analysis, of which 40.8% (40/98) had varices needing treatment. The optimal spleen stiffness cut-off value by 2D-SWE for predicting varices needing treatment was 13.2 kPa (AUROC 0.84), while for pSWE, it was 2.91 m/s (AUROC 0.90). Based on AUROC comparison, no difference between the performance of the two techniques for predicting varices needing treatment was found (p=0.1606). In conclusion, spleen stiffness measured by either 2D-SWE or pSWE is a reliable surrogate marker, with good feasibility, applicability, and predictive accuracy for varices needing treatment, with no significant difference between techniques.

Accuracy of liver and spleen stiffness on magnetic resonance elastography for detecting portal hypertension: a systematic review and meta-analysis

INTRODUCTION

The purpose of this systematic review and meta-analysis was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of liver and spleen stiffness on magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) for detecting clinically significant portal hypertension.

METHODS

A systematic review of MEDLINE, EMBASE, Scopus, the Cochrane Library, and the Grey Literature through to 15 August 2019 was performed. Original articles with >10 patients evaluating liver and/or spleen stiffness on MRE using a reference standard of portal hypertension defined as intractable ascites, esophageal varices, encephalopathy and/or death were included in analysis. Patient, clinical, MRI, and diagnostic performance was independently acquired by two reviewers. Meta-analysis was performed using a bivariate mixed-effects regression model.

RESULTS

Fourteen studies were included with 12 studies evaluating liver stiffness and eight studies evaluating spleen stiffness. The pooled and weighted sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) values for liver stiffness on MRE were 83% [95% confidence interval (CI) 72-90%], 80% (95% CI 70-88%), and 88% (95% CI 85-91%), respectively. The pooled and weighted sensitivity, specificity, and AUC values for spleen stiffness on MRE were 79% (95% CI 61-90%), 90% (95% CI 80-95%), and 92% (95% CI 89-94%), respectively. The liver and spleen stiffness sensitivity and specificity values were comparable when evaluating for esophageal varices only at of 80% (95% CI 66-89%) and 76% (95% CI 62-86%) for liver stiffness, and 75% (95% CI 52-90%) and 89% (95% CI 70-96%) for spleen stiffness.

DISCUSSION

Liver and spleen stiffness on MRE can serve as a supplemental noninvasive assessment tools for detecting clinically significant portal hypertension. Spleen stiffness may be more specific and accurate than liver stiffness for detecting portal hypertension.

Spleen and Liver Stiffness for Predicting High-Risk Varices in Patients with Compensated Liver Cirrhosis

The study evaluates the utility of spleen (SS) and liver stiffness (LS) associated with spleen size (SSZ) as non-invasive markers for predicting high-risk varices (HRV). One hundred thirty-two patients with compensated liver cirrhosis who underwent abdominal ultrasound SS (SSM) and LS measurements (LSM) using a 2-D shear wave elastography (2-D-SWE) technique from General Electric and upper endoscopy were included. Similar rates of reliable SSM and LSM were obtained (95.4% and 97.7% respectively); therefore, 124 patients were included in the final analysis. The optimal cutoff values for SS, LS and SSZ for predicting HRV were 13.2 kPa (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve [AUROC] = 0.84), 12.1 kPa (AUROC = 0.86) and 12.9 cm (AUROC = 0.71), respectively. Including these factors in multiple regression analysis, we obtained the scores for predicting HRV: 0.053 × SS + 0.054 × LS + 0.059 × SSZ - 1.84. The score's optimal cutoff value for predicting HRV was >0.34 (AUROC = 0.93). By comparing the AUROC's, the score including SSZ, SSM and LSM performed better than each independent factor for predicting HRV (p = 0.0091; p = 0.0341; p < 0.0001).

Splenic stiffness and platelet count to predict varices needing treatment in pediatric extrahepatic portal vein obstruction

BACKGROUND

Surveillance endoscopy to detect varices needing treatment (VNT) is important to prevent bleeding and morbidity in portal hypertension. In adult and pediatric cirrhosis, platelet count and liver stiffness measurement (LSM) are useful in selecting patients for endoscopy. Such recommendations do not exist for extrahepatic portal vein obstruction (EHPVO). Splenic stiffness measurement (SSM) has been studied in adult and pediatric EHPVO with conflicting results and methodological errors. This study evaluates the role of platelet counts and SSM to predict VNT and bleeding in pediatric EHPVO while comparing LSM and SSM between pediatric EHPVO and controls.

METHODS

One hundred and seven children (55 with EHPVO and 52 controls) were recruited. Clinical, biochemical, hematological, and radiographic parameters of all children were noted. All children with EHPVO underwent endoscopy.

RESULTS

Of the 55 children with EHPVO, 48 (87.3%) had VNT. There was no difference in the platelet counts (85,000/mm³ vs. 120,000/mm³, p = 0.58) and SSM (3.62 vs. 3.19, p = 0.05) between EHPVO children with VNT and those without. They had poor sensitivity and specificity to predict VNT. EHPVO children with bleeding had higher SSM that those without. LSM was higher among EHPVO than among controls (1.19 vs. 1.10, p = 0.003). Those with LSM higher than controls had normal liver histology.

CONCLUSION

SSM is higher in EHPVO bleeders but SSM and platelet counts are unreliable to predict VNT in pediatric EHPVO. Surveillance endoscopies may be needed in all pediatric EHPVO until better screening strategies are available.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Not applicable.

Reference values and repeatability of pulsed-wave Doppler flowmetry of portal vein in healthy dromedary she-camels

OBJECTIVE

This study was conducted to establish the normal values and repeatability of pulsed-wave (PW) Doppler ultrasonographic parameters of the hepatic portal circulation in healthy dromedary she-camels.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

According to the American Society of Veterinary Clinical Pathology guidelines, the sample size and statistical analysis were followed. Ten healthy, non-pregnant, non-lactating she-camels were selected after physical, hematological, and ultrasonographic examinations. All hepatic ultrasonographic measurements were obtained from unsedated standing she-camels at the 11th right intercostal space using B-mode and PW Doppler.

RESULTS

The ultrasonographic measurements were portal vein (PV) diameter 1.76 ± 0.37 cm; portal velocity 12.3 ± 3.2 cm/sec; portal area 2.05 ± 0.57 (cm)2; portal congestion index 0.16 ± 0.04 cms; and portal blood flow volume 0.02 ± 0.05 ml/sec/kg. The intra-assay coefficient of variations (CV)% of the above-mentioned variables were 5.84 ± 4.32, 12.3 ± 7.1, 10.5 ± 5.8, 14.7 ± 7.1, and 15.8 ± 12, respectively. However, the inter-assay CV% were 13.2 ± 5.9, 18.5 ± 8.4, 19.7 ± 7.6, 17.3 ± 8.8, and 31.9 ± 15, respectively.

CONCLUSION

This study provides data that may be used as reference values for Doppler measurements of the PV in she-camels, which may help diagnose some hepatic disorders in camels.

Fibrosis index predicts variceal bleeding and reduces need for nonselective beta-blocker in compensated cirrhosis with initial small esophageal varices without red-color sign

Background

Various non-invasive markers predicting hepatic fibrosis are poor predictors of esophageal variceal bleeding (EVB). Elastography performs well but resource-limited. Controversy for small EV prevention also exists. We aim to investigate if a non-invasive marker could predict subsequent EVB within 1 and 2 years in patients with compensated liver cirrhosis (CLC), initial small EV without red-color sign (RCS), without use of non-selective beta-blockers (NSBB) and endoscopic variceal ligation (EVL). This marker would also be tested if it could help reduce use of NSBB, thereby avoiding potential side effects and saving medical costs.

Methods

In this retrospective cohort study, 6,803 CLC patients fulfilling the inclusion-exclusion criteria were enrolled between 2001 and 2018, and were followed-up for 1 year, 2 years. The primary outcomes were subsequent EVB within 1 and 2 years of enrollment. Another 281 CLC patients with NSBB use were compared for additional outcome analysis.

Results

In total, 539 patients and 710 patients experienced EVB within 1 year and 2 years, respectively. The fibrosis index (FI) with cut-off value of 3.95 showed a negative predictive value (NPV) of 94.3% and an area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) of 62.95% for predicting subsequent EVB within 1 year. The EVB and mortality of patients with FI <3.95 and not taking NSBB were significantly lower than those of the other 3 groups. Similar results were demonstrated within 2 years.

Conclusions

In CLC patients with initial small EV and no RCS, low FI scores showed a high NPV and moderate AUROC in predicting subsequent EVB and mortalities, signifying clinically non-significant portal hypertension. Patients with low FI scores and not taking NSBB had significantly lowest EVB and mortality. The medical cost savings for cutting NSBB in these patients would be estimated at least $3 million per year in the U.S. Further randomized control trial study needed to validate this screening tool.

Endogenous motion of liver correlates to the severity of portal hypertension

BACKGROUND

Degree of portal hypertension (PH) is the most important prognostic factor for the decompensation of liver cirrhosis and death, therefore adequate care for patients with liver cirrhosis requires timely detection and evaluation of the presence of clinically significant PH (CSPH) and severe PH (SPH). As the most accurate method for the assessment of PH is an invasive direct measurement of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG), the search for non-invasive methods to diagnose these conditions is actively ongoing.

AIM

To evaluate the feasibility of parameters of endogenously induced displacements and strain of liver to assess degree of PH.

METHODS

Of 36 patients with liver cirrhosis and measured HVPG were included in the case-control study. Endogenous motion of the liver was characterized by derived parameters of region average tissue displacement signal (d_antero, d_retro, d_RMS) and results of endogenous tissue strain imaging using specific radiofrequency signal processing algorithm. Average endogenous strain µ and standard deviation σ of strain were assessed in the regions of interest (ROI) (1 cm × 1 cm and 2 cm × 2 cm in size) and different frequency subbands of endogenous motion (0-10 Hz and 10-20 Hz).

RESULTS

Four parameters showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) correlation with HVPG measurement. The strongest correlation was obtained for the standard deviation of strain (estimated at 0-10 Hz and 2 cm × 2 cm ROI size). Three parameters showed statistically significant differences between patient groups with CSPH, but only d_retro showed significant results in SPH analysis. According to ROC analysis area under the curve (AUC) of the σ_{ROI[0…10Hz, 2 cm × 2 cm]} parameter reached 0.71 (P = 0.036) for the diagnosis of CSPH; with a cut-off value of 1.28 μm/cm providing 73% sensitivity and 70% specificity. AUC for the diagnosis of CSPH for µ_{ROI[0…10Hz, 1 cm × 1 cm]} was 0.78 (P = 0.0024); with a cut-off value of 3.92 μm/cm providing 73% sensitivity and 80% specificity. D_retro parameter had an AUC of 0.86 (P = 0.0001) for the diagnosis of CSPH and 0.84 (P = 0.0001) for the diagnosis of SPH. A cut-off value of -132.34 μm yielded 100% sensitivity for both conditions, whereas specificity was 80% and 72% for CSPH and SPH respectively.

CONCLUSION

The parameters of endogenously induced displacements and strain of the liver correlated with HVPG and might be used for non-invasive diagnosis of PH.

A nomogram based on liver stiffness predicts postoperative complications in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Liver stiffness measurement (LSM), assessed by transient elastography (Fibroscan), has been demonstrated to predict post-hepatectomy liver failure in patients who undergo hepatic resection for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, other complications are also likely to be related to the underlying grade of liver fibrosis. Herein, we aimed to identify predictors of postoperative complications and to build and develop a novel nomogram able to identify patients at risk of developing severe complications.

METHODS

Data from patients who underwent hepatectomy for HCC between 2006 and 2016 at 2 referral centres were retrospectively reviewed. All surgical complications were recorded and scored using the comprehensive complication index (CCI), ranging from 0 (uneventful course) to 100 (death). A CCI ≥26.2 was used as a threshold to define severe complications.

RESULTS

During the study period, 471 patients underwent hepatic resection for HCC. Among them, 50 patients (10.6%) had a CCI ≥26.2. Age, model for end-stage liver disease (MELD) score and LSM values, together with serum albumin, were independent predictors of high CCI. The nomogram built on these variables was internally validated and showed good performance (optimism-corrected c-statistic = 0.751). A regression equation to predict the CCI was also established by multiple linear regression analysis: [LSM (kPa) × 0.254] + [age (years) × 0.118] + [MELD score (pt.) × 1.050] - [albumin (g/dl) × 2.395] - 3.639.

CONCLUSION

A novel nomogram, combining LSM values, age and liver function tests provided an excellent preoperative prediction of high CCI in patients with resectable HCC. This predictive model could be used as a reference for clinicians and surgeons to help them in clinical decision-making.

LAY SUMMARY

Liver stiffness measurement is increasingly being used to assess the degree of liver fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis and/or chronic hepatitis. Using Fibroscan, we developed a novel nomogram to predict severe complications following liver resection for hepatocellular carcinoma, according to the new comprehensive complication index. This tool could be used as a reference for clinicians and surgeons to help them in clinical decision-making.

Non-invasive tests for the prediction of primary hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies in the world and it is one of the main complications of cirrhosis and portal hypertension. Even in the presence of a well-established follow-up protocol for cirrhotic patients, to date poor data are available on predictive markers for primary HCC occurrence in the setting of compensated advanced chronic liver disease patients (cACLD). The gold standard method to evaluate the prognosis of patients with cACLD, beyond liver fibrosis assessed with histology, is the measurement of the hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). An HVPG ≥10 mmHg has been related to an increased risk of HCC in cACLD patients. However, these methods are burdened by additional costs and risks for patients and are mostly available only in referral centers. In the last decade increasing research has focused on the evaluation of several, simple, non-invasive tests (NITs) as predictors of HCC development. We reviewed the currently available literature on biochemical and ultrasound-based scores developed for the non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis and portal hypertension in predicting primary HCC. We found that the most reliable methods to assess HCC risk were the liver stiffness measurement, the aspartate aminotransferase to platelet ratio index score and the fibrosis-4 index. Other promising NITs need further investigations and validation for different liver disease aetiologies.

Spleen stiffness measurements using point shear wave elastography detects noncirrhotic portal hypertension in human immunodeficiency virus

To assess the utility of spleen stiffness as a diagnostic tool in individuals with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and non-cirrhotic portal hypertension (NCPH).The Philips EPIQ7, a new point shearwave elastography (pSWE) technique, was used to assess liver and spleen stiffness in 3 patient groups. Group 1: HIV and NCPH (n = 11); Group 2: HIV with past didanosine (ddI) exposure without known liver disease or NCPH (n = 5); Group 3: HIV without known liver disease or ddI exposure (n = 9).Groups were matched for age, HIV chronicity, and antiretroviral treatment (including cumulative ddI exposure in Groups 1 and 2). Differences in liver and spleen stiffness (in kPa) between groups were analyzed using the Mann-Whiney U test.Liver and spleen stiffness were both significantly higher in NCPH versus ddI-exposed (P = .019 and P = .006) and ddI-unexposed controls (P = .038 and P < .001). Spleen stiffness was more effective than liver stiffness at predicting NCPH, area under receiver operating characteristic (AUROC) 0.812 versus 0.948. Combining the 2 variables improved the diagnostic performance, AUROC 0.961. The optimal cut-off for predicting NCPH using splenic stiffness was 25.4 kPa, with sensitivity 91%, specificity 93%, positive predictive value (PPV) 91%, negative predictive value (NPV) 93%, positive likelihood ratio 12.73, negative likelihood ratio 0.10. Spleen and liver stiffness scores were strongly correlated (P = .0004, 95% confidence interval [CI] 18, 59).Elevated spleen stiffness is observed in HIV with NCPH and can be quantified easily using pSWE with high diagnostic accuracy. Novel strategies such as pSWE for longitudinal monitoring of patients with HIV and NCPH should be considered.

Deep learning with ultrasonography: automated classification of liver fibrosis using a deep convolutional neural network

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to develop a deep convolutional neural network (DCNN) for the prediction of the METAVIR score using B-mode ultrasonography images.

METHODS

Datasets from two tertiary academic referral centers were used. A total of 13,608 ultrasonography images from 3446 patients who underwent surgical resection, biopsy, or transient elastography were used for training a DCNN for the prediction of the METAVIR score. Pathological specimens or estimated METAVIR scores derived from transient elastography were used as a reference standard. A four-class model (F0 vs. F1 vs. F23 vs. F4) was developed. Diagnostic performance of the algorithm was validated on a separate internal test set of 266 patients with 300 images and external test set of 572 patients with 1232 images. Performance in classification of cirrhosis was compared between the DCNN and five radiologists.

RESULTS

The accuracy of the four-class model was 83.5% and 76.4% on the internal and external test set, respectively. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) for classification of cirrhosis (F4) was 0.901 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.865-0.937) on the internal test set and 0.857 (95% CI, 0.825-0.889) on the external test set, respectively. The AUC of the DCNN for classification of cirrhosis (0.857) was significantly higher than that of all five radiologists (AUC range, 0.656-0.816; p value < 0.05) using the external test set.

CONCLUSIONS

The DCNN showed high accuracy for determining METAVIR score using ultrasonography images and achieved better performance than that of radiologists in the diagnosis of cirrhosis.

KEY POINTS

• DCNN accurately classified the ultrasonography images according to the METAVIR score. • The AUROC of this algorithm for cirrhosis assessment was significantly higher than that of radiologists. • DCNN using US images may offer an alternative tool for monitoring liver fibrosis.

Role of imaging techniques in liver veno-occlusive disease diagnosis: recent advances and literature review

Veno-occlusive-disease (VOD), known also as sinusoidal-obstruction-syndrome (SOS), is one of the main complications of haematopoietic stem cell transplantation and is related to the treatment with pyrrolizidine alkaloids or other toxic agents (chemotherapy for liver-metastasis). Clinical diagnosis using the recent criteria from the European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation, is the reference for VOD/SOS diagnosis. However, increasing evidence suggests the emerging role of several imaging methods that could help the clinician in VOD/SOS assessment. Areas covered: This review evaluates the current literature on the various imaging techniques used in VOD/SOS diagnosis in several clinical scenarios. Literature searches were performed using several keywords on MEDLINE/Ovid/In-Process/Cochrane Library/EMBASE and PubMed up to July 2018. Expert commentary: Hepatic-gradient-measurement (HVPG) and contextual transjugular-liver-biopsy are invasive and should always be considered in unclear cases. The main studies revolve around ultrasound with Doppler evaluation, identifying numerous findings suggestive of VOD/SOS. However, their accuracy and validation are still suboptimal and controversial. CT-Scan and MRI have shown encouraging data in other contexts in which VOD/SOS can develop, but studies on the post-HSCT patient are lacking. Elastography techniques measuring liver stiffness (LSM) represent the most recent and promising approach for an accurate and early diagnosis of VOD/SOS. In our view, a multidisciplinary approach to the VOD/SOS diagnosis should be highly encouraged.

Diagnostic Accuracy of Multidetector Computed Tomography in Detection of Esophageal Varices

Objective

To determine the diagnostic accuracy of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) in the detection of esophageal varices by taking endoscopy as the reference standard.

Materials and methods

This was a cross-sectional prospective study conducted at the Department of Radiology, Aga Khan University Hospital, (AKUH) Karachi, for the duration of 12 months from August 1, 2014 to July 31, 2015. One hundred ninety-six patients with a suspicion of chronic liver disease/cirrhosis undergoing 64 slice MDCT were enrolled in our study and underwent computed tomography (CT) scanning in the Department of Radiology at AKUH. Biphasic CT was performed with images obtained during the hepatic arterial phase (30-second delay) and the portal venous phase (65-second delay) after the intravenous (IV) injection of 120 mL of nonionic contrast material at a rate of 3.5 mL/s. The presence of esophageal varices was evaluated on MDCT with endoscopy as gold standard. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value and positive predictive value, and accuracy of MDCT were assessed against the gold standard.

Results

Our results yielded an MDCT sensitivity of 98.96%, specificity of 100%, positive predictive value (PPV) of 100%, negative predictive value (NPV) of 66.67%, and diagnostic accuracy of 98.97% for esophageal varices in chronic liver disease (CLD) patients.

Conclusion

The rate of detection of esophageal varices in patients with chronic liver disease on MDCT in our country is comparable to the international data and we advocate that MDCT should be used as a screening tool in patients with chronic liver disease to exclude esophageal varices.

Liver Stiffness Measurement Allows Early Diagnosis of Veno-Occlusive Disease/Sinusoidal Obstruction Syndrome in Adult Patients Who Undergo Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: Results from a Monocentric Prospective Study

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD), also known as sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS), is a life-threatening complication affecting patients undergoing hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). The survival rate is higher when specific therapy is initiated early; thus, improving early, noninvasive diagnosis of VOD/SOS is an important need. In an adult population undergoing HSCT, we aimed to assess the role of liver stiffness measurement (LSM), evaluated by transient elastography (TE), for diagnosing VOD/SOS. Between April 2016 and March 2018, 78 consecutive adult patients with indications for allogeneic HSCT were prospectively included. LSM was performed before HSCT and at days +9/10, +15/17, and +22/24 post-HSCT. New European Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation criteria were used to establish VOD/SOS diagnosis. Four patients developed VOD/SOS (5.1%) during the study period, with a median time of +17 days post-HSCT. A sudden increase in LSM compared with previously assessed values and pre-HSCT values, was seen in all patients who developed VOD/SOS. LSM increases occurred from 2 to 12 days before clinical SOS/VOD appearance. The VOD/SOS diagnostic performance of increased LSM over pre-HSCT assessment showed an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.997 (sensitivity 75%; specificity 98.7%). LSM gradually decreased following successful VOD/SOS-specific treatment. Interestingly, LSM values did not increase significantly in patients experiencing hepatobiliary complications (according to the Common Terminology Criteria) other than VOD/SOS. LSM by TE can be considered a promising method to perform an early, preclinical diagnosis and follow-up of VOD/SOS.

Spleen stiffness mirrors changes in portal hypertension after successful interferon-free therapy in chronic-hepatitis C virus patients

AIM

To investigate changes in spleen stiffness measurements (SSMs) and other non-invasive tests (NITs) after treatment with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) and identify predictors of SSM change after sustained virological response (SVR).

METHODS

We retrospectively analysed 146 advanced-chronic liver disease (ACLD) patients treated with DAA with available paired SSM at baseline and SVR24. Liver stiffness (LSM), spleen diameter (SD), platelet count (PLT) and liver stiffness-spleen diameter to platelet ratio score(LSPS) were also investigated. LSM ≥ 21 kPa was used as a cut-off to rule-in clinically significant portal hypertension (CSPH). SSM reduction > 20% from baseline was defined as significant.

RESULTS

SSM significantly decreased at SVR24, in both patients with and without CSPH; in 44.8% of cases, SSM reduction was > 20%. LSPS significantly improved in the entire cohort at SVR24; SD and PLT changed significantly only in patients without CSPH. LSM significantly decreased in 65.7% of patients and also in 2/3 patients in whom SSM did not decrease. The independent predictor of decreased SSM was median relative change of LSM. CSPH persisted in 54.4% patients after SVR. Delta LSM and baseline SSM were independent factors associated with CSPH persistence.

CONCLUSION

SSM and other NITs significantly decrease after SVR, although differently according to the patient’s clinical condition. SSM faithfully reflects changes in portal hypertension and could represent a useful NIT for the follow-up of these patients.