title: Predicting portal hypertension as assessed by acoustic radiation force impulse: correlations with the Doppler ultrasound.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to assess the value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) for evaluating portal hypertension by correlating the elasticity of liver cirrhosis, as measured by ARFI, with haemodynamic indices measured by Doppler ultrasound.
  
  
  METHODS
  We evaluated the data of a total of 154 prospectively enrolled patients who underwent both duplex Doppler ultrasound and ARFI imaging. The duplex Doppler ultrasound indices, including the mean portal vein velocity, splenic index (SI) and splenoportal index (SPI) were evaluated to determine the statistical correlation with shear wave velocity (SWV) of ARFI. We also analysed the differences in the correlations between the SI, SPI and SWV of the group who had varices. The correlations were assessed with Spearman's rank correlation coefficients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There was an increase of SWV in parallel with the increase of the SI (ρ=0.409, p<0.01) and SPI (ρ=0.451, p<0.01). In the patient group who did not have varices (n=74), the Doppler indices were found to be more correlated with the SWV (SI: ρ=0.447, SPI: ρ=0.552, p<0.01). However, the group with varices showed no correlation between the SWV and the Doppler parameters.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SWV of ARFI was well correlated statistically with Doppler parameters, but is of limited value in predicting portal hypertension directly owing to great variability of Doppler parameters. By evaluating the correlation between ARFI and Doppler ultrasound, we suggest that the SWV might be a non-invasive supplementary tool for predicting portal hypertension.
authors: Department of Radiology, Dong-A University Hospital, Busan, Republic of Korea.
authors: J-Y
authors: JY
authors: Han
authors: J H
authors: JH
authors: Cho
authors: H J
authors: HJ
authors: Kwon
authors: K J
authors: KJ
authors: Nam
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D004548:Elasticity; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D006975:Hypertension, Portal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D018608:Ultrasonography, Doppler / Q000379:methods