title: Acoustic structure quantification ultrasound software proves imprecise in assessing liver fibrosis or cirrhosis in parenchymal liver diseases.
abstract: The present study was conducted to assess the diagnostic accuracy of Acoustic Structure Quantification (ASQ) ultrasound software in liver biopsy of patients with liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Eighty patients (47 ± 14 y, 41 men) with chronic liver diseases underwent ultrasound examination of the liver and liver biopsy. In addition to the standard-care ultrasound examination, three valid gray-scale images were obtained for each patient. With the ASQ software, the average and peak values (Cm(2)) of each ultrasound gray-scale image were calculated and then compared with histologic fibrosis staging (F0-F4). No correlation was found between ASQ values and histologic fibrosis stage (p > 0.05). Areas under the curve for the diagnosis of no or mild fibrosis (F0 and F1), moderate/severe fibrosis (F2 and F3) and cirrhosis (F4) using average/peak Cm(2) values of small regions of interest were 0.46/0.43, 0.62/0.68 and 0.38/0.33. Determination of liver fibrosis with ASQ in its present form as an alternative approach to liver biopsy is too imprecise.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany; Department III of Internal Medicine, Heart Centre of the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany. Electronic address: carnold0@smail.uni-koeln.de.
authors.forename: Christiane
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Natalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Jaspers
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Nierhoff
authors.affiliation: Institute of Medical Statistics, Informatics and Epidemiology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Kathrin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuhr
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Bowe
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Tobias
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Goeser
authors.affiliation: Department III of Internal Medicine, Heart Centre of the University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
authors.forename: Guido
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Michels
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000465:Algorithms; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods*; D007090:Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / Q000379:methods*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012984:Software; D012986:Software Validation; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Acoustic structure quantification; Liver disease; Liver fibrosis; Ultrasound