Ultrasound liver elastography beyond liver fibrosis assessment

Several guidelines have indicated that liver stiffness(LS)assessed by means of shear wave elastography(SWE)can safely replace liver biopsy in several clinical scenarios,particularly in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.However,an increase of LS may be due to some other clinical conditions not related to fibrosis,such as liver inflammation,acute hepatitis,obstructive cholestasis,liver congestion,infiltrative liver diseases.This review analyzes the role that SWE can play in cases of liver congestion due to right-sided heart failure,congenital heart diseases or valvular diseases.In patients with heart failure LS seems directly influenced by central venous pressure and can be used as a prognostic marker to predict cardiac events.The potential role of LS in evaluating liver disease beyond the stage of liver fibrosis has been investigated also in the hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome(SOS)and in the Budd-Chiari syndrome.In the hepatic SOS,an increase of LS is observed some days before the clinical manifestations;therefore,it could allow an early diagnosis to timely start an effective treatment.Moreover,it has been reported that patients that were successfully treated showed a LS decrease,that reached pre-transplantation value within two to four weeks.It has been reported that,in patients with Budd-Chiari syndrome,LS values can be used to monitor short and long-term outcome after angioplasty.

Congestive heart failure masquerading as acute abdomen:A case report

Rationale:As an uncommon manifestation of congestive heart failure,congestive hepatopathy requires an early diagnosis in order to render appropriate care.Misdiagnosis as intraabdominal sepsis may lead to erroneous initial intervention,such as fluid boluses,that can potentially tip an already sick patient with poor reserves over into an extreme state.Patient’s Concern:A 65-year-old man was brought to the emergency department for excruciating abdominal pain,vomiting and jaundice.He also had lower limb pitting edema and was hypotensive en route.Diagnosis:Congestive hepatopathy.Interventions:Intravenous furosemide and fluid restriction.Outcomes:The patient declined admission to the cardiology ward and discharged himself against medical advice after his condition was improved in the emergency department.Lessons:It is important to pay attention to acute abdominal pain induced by extraabdominal pathologies.In this case of acute decompensated congestive heart failure,early recognition of the cause makes a difference to the management.