Simplification of 2D shear wave elastography by enlarged SWE box and multiple regions of interest in one acquisition

Two-dimensional (2D) Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) is an easy to perform technique to evaluate the liver stiffness. To simplify the procedure and reduce the acquisition time we enlarged the size of the SWE-box and set ten regions of interest (ROI) in one acquisition. We compare the accuracy of this method to ten separate acquisitions in a small box each with a single ROI measurement. Sixty-nine volunteers with diffuse chronic liver disease were studied with 2D-SWE using a Canon Aplio i800 ultrasound system. The shear-wave-speed was measured in the right lobe in ten separate acquisitions and compared to one acquisition with increased size of the SWE-box and ten different ROI measurements. A Bland-Altmann plot was drawn and the interclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was calculated to compare both methods. Finally, 2D-SWE was successfully performed thru both methods in sixty-six participants. Between both methods the ICC is 0.82. The results of this study show a good reliability between ten separate measures and one grouped measure with ten ROI if the mean is below 1.6m/s (7.7kPa). For higher degrees of fibrosis (>= F2) further investigations are needed.

Automated summary

This study improves and compares the method of using Two-dimensional Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) to evaluate liver stiffness. The results show that there is good reliability between one acquisition with increased size of the SWE-box and ten different ROI measurements and ten separate acquisitions with a single ROI measurement, if the mean shear-wave-speed is below 1.6m/s (7.7kPa).