title: Ultrasonographic diagnosis of degree of chronic type C liver disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We propose a method, named US score, for semi-quantitative determination of the stage of chronic type C liver disease by ultrasonography.
  
  
  METHODS
  The subjects were 454 patients with chronic type C liver disease. Of the patients with chronic hepatitis C, 208 underwent US-guided or laparoscopic liver biopsy. US score was the sum of the scores representing five morphological variables, to be evaluated semi-quantitatively, and change in US score with chronic liver disease progression was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The average US score was 2.5 +/- 0.4 for F0, 2.8 +/- 0.6 for F1, 3.0 +/- 0.6 for F2, 3.7 +/- 0.9 for F3 and 5.5 +/- 0.8 for F4. There was a significant correlation between US score and the degree of fibrosis of chronic hepatitis C as assessed by the new European classification (p<0.0001). The average US score was 5.6 +/- 0.9 for Child A, 6.6 +/- 1.1 for Child B, and 7.8 +/- 0.7 for Child C. There was a significant correlation between US score and the results of classification by Child-Turcotte criteria (p<0.0001).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that US score is a stable, convenient method of evaluating the degree of progression of chronic type C liver disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Hepatology, Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka City University Medical School, Japan. daiki@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
authors.forename: Daiki
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Habu
authors.forename: Shuhei
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nishiguchi
authors.forename: Masaru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Enomoto
authors.forename: Shinji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakatani
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Minamitani
authors.forename: Akihiro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tamori
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sakaguchi
authors.forename: Tadashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Takeda
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Seki
authors.forename: Masayuki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ogami
authors.forename: Hitoshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Asai
authors.forename: Susumu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Shiomi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001707:Biopsy, Needle / Q000379:methods*; D015331:Cohort Studies; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D010535:Laparoscopy / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011336:Probability; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods*