Journal
QUANTITATIVE IMAGING IN MEDICINE AND SURGERY
Volume 12, Issue 2, Pages 1235-1242Publisher
AME PUBL CO
DOI: 10.21037/qims-21-657
Keywords
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC); liver stiffness measurement (LSM); two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE); attenuation imaging (ATI); shear wave dispersion imaging (SWD); transient elastography (TE)
Funding
- German Research Foundation [MU 2864/1-3, MU 2864/3-1]
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This study characterized the severity of liver disease in PBC patients using non-invasive methods including 2D-SWE, SWD, and ATI. The results demonstrate the reliability of 2D-SWE for fibrosis assessment in PBC, and the correlation of SWD with the prognostic marker ALP suggests a potentially valuable role of this new non-invasive method in evaluating liver disease activity in PBC.
Background: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease that can lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) is a modern technique for fibrosis assessment. However, data regarding its performance in PBC is sparse. We aimed to characterize severity of liver disease in PBC patients using non-invasive 2D-SWE and the new methods of attenuation imaging (ATI) and shear wave dispersion imaging (SWD). Methods: Twenty two PBC patients were examined with 2D-SWE, SWD and ATI, alongside established non-invasive fibrosis and steatosis assessment methods as well as liver function tests. Results: Median 2D-SWE values were 1.48 m/S (range, 1.14-2.13 m/S) and 6.7 kPa (range, 3.8-14.7 kPa), respectively. Median SWD, ATI, transient elastography (TE) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values were 13.9 m/S/ kHz (range, 11.6-21 m/S/kHz), 0.57 dB/cm/MHz (range, 0.5-0.68 dB/cm/MHz), 7 kPa (range, 3.7-14.6 kPa), and 208 dB/m (range, 107-276 dB/m), respectively. 2D-SWE displayed a significant correlation with spleen length, platelet count, non-invasive fibrosis scores (FIB-4, APRI) and with TE. SWD correlated with alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels, which is a prognostic marker in PBC. Conclusions: Our findings add further evidence that 2D-SWE is a reliable method for fibrosis assessment in PBC. Even though the cohort size was small, the correlation of SWD with the prognostic marker ALP suggests a potentially valuable role of this new non-invasive method in evaluating liver disease activity in PBC.
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