Elastography in Chronic Liver Disease: Modalities, Techniques, Limitations, and Future Directions.
Chronic liver disease has multiple causes, many of which are increasing in prevalence. The final common pathway of chronic liver disease is tissue destruction and attempted regeneration, a pathway that triggers fibrosis and eventual cirrhosis. Assessment of fibrosis is important not only for diagnosis but also for management, prognostic evaluation, and follow-up of patients with chronic liver disease. Although liver biopsy has traditionally been considered the reference standard for assessment of liver fibrosis, noninvasive techniques are the emerging focus in this field. Ultrasound-based elastography and magnetic resonance (MR) elastography are gaining popularity as the modalities of choice for quantifying hepatic fibrosis. These techniques have been proven superior to conventional cross-sectional imaging for evaluation of fibrosis, especially in the precirrhotic stages. Moreover, elastography has added utility in the follow-up of previously diagnosed fibrosis, the assessment of treatment response, evaluation for the presence of portal hypertension (spleen elastography), and evaluation of patients with unexplained portal hypertension. In this article, a brief overview is provided of chronic liver disease and the tools used for its diagnosis. Ultrasound-based elastography and MR elastography are explored in depth, including a brief glimpse into the evolution of elastography. Elastography is based on the principle of measuring tissue response to a known mechanical stimulus. Specific elastographic techniques used to exploit this principle include MR elastography and ultrasonography-based static or quasistatic strain imaging, one-dimensional transient elastography, point shear-wave elastography, and supersonic shear-wave elastography. The advantages, limitations, and pitfalls of each modality are emphasized.©RSNA, 2016.
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Aparna
A
Srinivasa Babu
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Michael L
ML
Wells
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Oleg M
OM
Teytelboym
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Justin E
JE
Mackey
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Frank H
FH
Miller
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Benjamin M
BM
Yeh
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Richard L
RL
Ehman
From the Departments of Radiology of Mercy Catholic Medical Center, Darby, Pa (A.S.B., O.M.T., J.E.M.); Mayo Clinic, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905 (M.L.W., R.L.E., S.K.V.); Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill (F.H.M.); and University of California-San Francisco School of Medicine, San Francisco, Calif (B.M.Y.).
Sudhakar K
SK
Venkatesh
D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D003951:Diagnostic Errors / Q000517:prevention & control*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000379:methods* / Q000639:trends*; D058625:End Stage Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D019317:Evidence-Based Medicine; D006801:Humans; D007089:Image Enhancement / Q000379:methods; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*
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