title: In vivo acoustic attenuation in liver: correlations with blood tests and histology.
abstract: Results of in vivo attenuation measurements in the liver have been obtained in 26 normal controls and in 51 patients with chronic diffuse liver disease. A modified real-time sector scanner was used for narrow-band amplitude attenuation examination. In the control group (people without apparent liver disease), a statistically significant correlation was found between acoustic attenuation in liver and two blood tests reflecting liver function: serum albumin (n = 24, r = 0.67, p = 0.002) and prothrombin time (n = 23, r = 0.63, p = 0.019). There was a statistically significant positive correlation between attenuation and fat for all biopsied patients (n = 51, r = 0.32, p = 0.023) and for patients with minimal fibrosis (n = 25, r = 0.45, p = 0.027). Although no correlation with fibrosis was found for all patients, in the group of patients with minimal fat there was a correlation with portal fibrosis (n = 33, r = 0.37, p = 0.035). This double blind prospective study shows that in the liver: (1) attenuation estimates appear correlated with clinical parameters (blood tests) in normal volunteers, and (2) large changes in fat affect narrow-band acoustic attenuation estimates to a greater degree than severe portal fibrosis in patients with chronic diffuse liver disease. Further research is needed before these estimates can become a clinical tool.
mesh_terms: D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000097:blood / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D011517:Prothrombin Time; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin