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Assessment of chronic liver disease by multiparametric ultrasound: results from a private practice outpatient facility

  • Hepatobiliary
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Abdominal Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

To assess chronic liver disease (CLD) using multiparametric US in a private practice setting in a cohort of patients with increased skin-to-liver distance.

Methods

110 consecutive patients with increased skin-to-liver distance scheduled for US assessment of CLD were reviewed for study completion time, liver stiffness values (LS), attenuation imaging, and shear wave dispersion slope. The ROI was placed 2 cm below the liver capsule. The study included patients with NAFLD/NASH (68), hepatitis C (30), prior Fontan surgery (1), elevated liver function tests (5), alcohol abuse (3), hepatitis B (2), and primary biliary cirrhosis (1). IQR/M values were obtained. Comparison of less experienced sonographers (LES) and more experienced sonographers (MES) were evaluated through Student’s t test for independent data. Pearson coefficient r of correlation among quantitative variables was calculated.

Results

The mean time to perform the exam was 129.7 ± 62.1 s. There was a statistically significant difference between LES and MES. The mean IQR/M for LS was 12.3 ± 5.5% m/s. Overall, in a cohort of difficult patients, 4.5% of LS values were not reliable. Fat quantification using attenuation imaging had a mean value of 0.60 ± 0.15 dB/cm/MHz (range 0.35–0.98 cm/dB/MHz) with an IQR/M of 14.7 ± 9.2%. Less reliable measurements of steatosis were obtained in 4.5% of patients. The mean shear wave dispersion slope was 12.74 ± 4.05 (m/s)/kHz (range 7.7–27.5 (m/s)/kHz) with an IQR/M of 38.7 ± 20.2% (range 3–131%). 20.9% of patients had values suggestive of compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD).

Conclusion

Multiparametric US can provide assessment of CLD in less than 3 min in most patients and identify patients at risk for cACLD.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, Northeastern Ohio Medical University, Rootstown, OH, USA

    Varun Aitharaju & Richard G. Barr

  2. Clinical Epidemiology and Biometeric Unit, -, Fondazione IRCCS Policlinico San Matteo, Pavia, Italy

    Annalisa De Silvestri

  3. Southwoods Imaging, 7623 Market Street, Youngstown, OH, 44512, USA

    Richard G. Barr

Authors
  1. Varun Aitharaju
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  2. Annalisa De Silvestri
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  3. Richard G. Barr
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Richard G. Barr.

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Conflict of interest

RGB has research grants from Siemens Ultrasound, Philips Ultrasound, Samsung Ultrasound, Mindray Ultrasound, and GE Medical. He is on the speakers bureaus for Siemens Ultrasound, Philips Ultrasound, Mindray, and Canon Medical Systems. He receives royalties from Thieme Publishers. He is one of the advisory panels of Hologic. VA and AD declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Approved by our local IRB and HIPAA compliant.

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This was a retrospective study and IRB waived consent to participate.

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All authors agree to sole publication of this manuscript in Abdominal Radiology. The manuscript or patient data has not been previously published or presently under review by any other publication.

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Aitharaju, V., De Silvestri, A. & Barr, R.G. Assessment of chronic liver disease by multiparametric ultrasound: results from a private practice outpatient facility. Abdom Radiol 46, 5152–5161 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-021-03225-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00261-021-03225-2

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