title: Ultrasonography in differentiation between chronic viral hepatitis and compensated early stage cirrhosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the value of gray scale (GS) and colour Doppler ultrasonography (CDU) in differentiating the progression of chronic viral hepatitis (CVH) and compensated liver cirrhosis (CIR).
  
  
  METHODS
  Seventy-two patients and 32 normal individuals who were used as controls were studied. Forty-four patients suffered from CVH and 28 from CIR. All patients were underwent to liver biopsy. Multiple qualitative and quantitative variables were studied in liver, portal vein (PV), hepatic artery (HA) and spleen with GS and CDU. On the basis of the obtained CDU data, several known indexes were calculated. In addition, alternative indices [PV diameter (D)/time average mean velocity (VTAM), HA/PV VTAM ratio] were calculated and studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ROC analysis showed that PV congestion index, PV D/VTAM and HA/PV VTAM indices had the best sensitivity and specificity in discriminating CVH from CIR. Stepwise discriminant analysis showed that 88.9% of the originally grouped cases could be correctly classified by the three qualitative and four quantitative variables selected as statistically significant predictors. Among the CVH patients who underwent to biopsy, statistically significant changes were found in those at fibrosis stage 5 compared to fibrosis stages 1-4.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simple GS and CDU parameters discriminate CVH from CIR. The alternative Doppler indexes can accurately differentiate chronic virus hepatitis from cirrhosis. These indexes can be used in monitoring chronic virus hepatitis and avoiding unnecessary biopsies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Agios Andreas General Hospital, Greece. eliopan@otenet.gr
authors.forename: Panagiotis
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Iliopoulos
authors.forename: Marianna
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vlychou
authors.forename: Chrisoula
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Karatza
authors.forename: Spyros-D
authors.initials: SD
authors.lastname: Yarmenitis
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Repanti
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Tsamis
authors.forename: Kostantinos
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Tepetes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods