Ultrasound and Point Shear Wave Elastography in Livers of Patients with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis.
Point shear wave elastography (pSWE) is an ultrasound-based method for non-invasive quantification of liver fibrosis. The objective of this study was to explore liver pSWE in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) for assessment of fibrosis. Fifty-five non-transplant patients with PSC (38 males, 17 females; mean age: 46.4 y) were included and compared with 24 matched controls. Median (range) PSC duration was 8.1 (0-33) y. Ultrasonographic scanning followed by liver stiffness measurement by pSWE was performed using a conventional ultrasound system (Philips iU22). Signs of liver fibrosis on B-mode were identified in 21 patients (38%). Splenomegaly was found in 19 patients (35%) and ascites in two patients (4%). Successful pSWE measurements were achieved in the right liver lobe of all individuals and in the left liver lobe of 36 patients (65.5%). PSC patients had significantly higher median shear wave velocity (SWV) than controls in the right liver (median [range] SWV 1.26 [0.73-2.57] m/s vs. 1.09 [0.88-1.25] m/s, p < 0.001). SWV measured in the left liver lobe and spleen did not differ between PSC patients and controls. Our findings indicate that PSC patients have increased median SWV, indicating more fibrosis compared with controls; however, a wide range of SWV values were obtained among PSC patients, possibly reflecting the various stages in disease development.
National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Anders Batman
AB
Mjelle
National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Anesa
A
Mulabecirovic
National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Trygve
T
Hausken
National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway.
Roald Flesland
RF
Havre
National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Department of Clinical Medicine, University of Bergen, Bergen, Norway.
Odd Helge
OH
Gilja
National Centre for Ultrasound in Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Haukeland University Hospital, Bergen, Norway; Norwegian PSC Research Center, Division of Cancer Medicine, Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Transplantation Medicine, Oslo University Hospital Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway. Electronic address: mette.vesterhus@helse-bergen.no.
Mette
M
Vesterhus
D000328:Adult; D015209:Cholangitis, Sclerosing / Q000150:complications*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged
Elastography; Liver fibrosis; Non-invasive; Point shear wave elastography; Primary sclerosing cholangitis; Ultrasound