Assessment of Fibrosis during the Development of Fatty Liver in Rabbits using Real-time Shear-wave Elastography

Nonalcoholic and alcoholic rabbit models of fatty liver were established by feeding on high-fat diet and alcohol, respectively, and fatty liver stiffness at different pathological stages was as- sessed with real-time shear-wave elastography （SWE）, so as to investigate the fibrosis process during the development of fatty liver. The fatty liver stiffness of rabbit in nonalcoholic and alcoholic groups was higher than that in the control group, and that in alcohol group was higher than that in the nonalco- holic group （P〈0.01）. The elasticity modulus of liver in fatty liver rabbits of nonalcoholic and alcoholic groups showed a positive correlation with progression of liver fibrosis （P〈0.01）. Real-time SWE, as a noninvasive diagnostic method, can objectively reflect the liver stiffness change and progression of liver fibrosis during the development of fatty liver.

Shear-wave elastography to predict hepatocellular carcinoma after hepatitis C virus eradication:A systematic review and meta-analysis

BACKGROUND Direct-acting antiviral agents(DAAs)are highly effective treatment for chronic hepatitis C(CHC)with a significant rate of sustained virologic response(SVR).The achievement of SVR is crucial to prevent additional liver damage and slow down fibrosis progression.The assessment of fibrosis degree can be performed with transient elastography,magnetic resonance elastography or shear-wave elastography(SWE).Liver elastography could function as a predictor for hepato-cellular carcinoma(HCC)in CHC patients treated with DAAs.AIM To explore the predictive value of SWE for HCC development after complete clearance of hepatitis C virus(HCV).METHODS A comprehensive literature search of clinical studies was performed to identify the ability of SWE to predict HCC occurrence after HCV clearance.In accordance with the study protocol,a qualitative and quantitative analysis of the evidence was planned.RESULTS At baseline and after 12 wk of follow-up,a trend was shown towards greater liver stiffness(LS)in those who go on to develop HCC compared to those who do not[baseline LS standardized mean difference(SMD):1.15,95%confidence interval(95%CI):020-2.50;LS SMD after 12 wk:0.83,95%CI:0.33-1.98].The absence of a statistically significant difference between the mean LS in those who developed HCC or not may be related to the inability to correct for confounding factors and the absence of raw source data.There was a statist-ically significant LS SMD at 24 wk of follow-up between patients who developed HCC vs not(0.64;95%CI:0.04-1.24).CONCLUSION SWE could be a promising tool for prediction of HCC occurrence in patients treated with DAAs.Further studies with larger cohorts and standardized timing of elastographic evaluation are needed to confirm these data.

Real-time Shear Wave Elastography Assessment of Muscle Elasticity in Patients with Renal Failure

Objective:To explore the value of real-time elastic shear wave in evaluating muscle elasticity in patients with renal failure.Methods:50 patients with chronic renal failure from January 2019 to December 2022 were randomly selected as the experimental group,and 50 healthy patients aged 21-61 during the same period were selected as the control group,and the basic information of the patients,including age,gender,body mass index,etc.,were collected.Besides,the Young's modulus of the two groups of patients were observed and analyzed.Results:The Young's modulus values of left and right gastrocnemius muscles in the experimental group were significantly lower than those in the control group(P<0.05),and there was no statistical difference between the left and right sides of the experimental group and the control group(P>0.05).Conclusion:Real-time shear wave elastography provides a non-invasive,real-time and effective tool for the assessment of muscle elasticity in patients with renal failure.Through further research and optimization,real-time shear wave elastography will play a greater role in the prevention and treatment of patients with renal failure,improving the quality of life and prognosis of patients.

Added value of shear-wave elastography in the prediction of extracapsular extension and seminal vesicle invasion before radical prostatectomy

The purpose of this study was to analyze the value of transrectal shear-wave elastography(SWE)in combination with multivariable tools for predicting adverse pathological features before radical prostatectomy(RP).Preoperative clinicopathological variables,multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging(mp-MRI)manifestations,and the maximum elastic value of the prostate(Emax)on SWE were retrospectively collected.The accuracy of SWE for predicting adverse pathological features was evaluated based on postoperative pathology,and parameters with statistical significance were selected.The diagnostic performance of various models,including preoperative clinicopathological variables(model 1),preoperative clinicopathological variables+mp-MRI(model 2),and preoperative clinicopathological variables+mp-MRI+SWE(model 3),was evaluated with area under the receiver operator characteristic curve(AUC)analysis.Emax was significantly higher in prostate cancer with extracapsular extension(ECE)or seminal vesicle invasion(SVI)with both P<0.001.The optimal cutoff Emax values for ECE and SVI were 60.45 kPa and 81.55 kPa,respectively.Inclusion of mp-MRI and SWE improved discrimination by clinical models for ECE(model 2 vs model 1,P=0.031;model 3 vs model 1,P=0.002;model 3 vs model 2,P=0.018)and SVI(model 2 vs model 1,P=0.147;model 3 vs model 1,P=0.037;model 3 vs model 2,P=0.134).SWE is valuable for identifying patients at high risk of adverse pathology.

Ultrasound-based elastography for the diagnosis of portal hypertension in cirrhotics

Progressive fibrosis is encountered in almost all chronicliver diseases. Its clinical signs are diagnostic in advanced cirrhosis, but compensated liver cirrhosis is harder to diagnose. Liver biopsy is still considered the reference method for staging the severity of fibrosis, but due to its drawbacks(inter and intra-observer variability, sampling errors, unequal distribution of fibrosis in the liver, and risk of complications and even death), non-invasive methods were developed to assess fibrosis(serologic and elastographic). Elastographic methods can be ultrasound-based or magnetic resonance imaging-based. All ultrasoundbased elastographic methods are valuable for the early diagnosis of cirrhosis, especially transient elastography(TE) and acoustic radiation force impulse(ARFI) elastography, which have similar sensitivities and specificities, although ARFI has better feasibility. TE is a promising method for predicting portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients, but it cannot replace upper digestive endoscopy. The diagnostic accuracy of using ARFI in the liver to predict portal hypertension in cirrhotic patients is debatable, with controversial results in published studies. The accuracy of ARFI elastography may be significantly increased if spleen stiffness is assessed, either alone or in combination with liver stiffness and other parameters. Two-dimensional shearwave elastography, the Elast PQ technique and strain elastography all need to be evaluated as predictors of portal hypertension.

Real Time Ultrasound Elastography for the Differentiation of Benign and Malignant Thyroid Nodules

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive value of real-time ultrasound elastography (RUE) in differentiating benign from malignant thyroid nodules, with fine needle aspiration cytology analysis as the reference standard. A total of 78 consecutive patients with thyroid nodules who were selected for fine needle aspiration biopsies were examined in this prospective study. 78 nodules in these patients were examined by conventional ultrasound, and ultrasound elastography. The final diagnosis was obtained from cytological findings. Tissue stiffness on ultrasound elastography was scored from 1 (low stiffness over the entire nodule) to 5 (high stiffness over the entire nodule and surrounding tissue). On real-time ultrasound elastography, 47 of 62 benign nodules (76%) had a score of 1 or 2, whereas 15 of 16 malignant nodules had a score of 3 to 5, with sensitivity of 93.7%, specificity of 90%, a positive predictive value of 71%, and a negative predictive value of 98%. Real-time ultrasound elastography is a promising imaging technique that is useful in the differential diagnosis of thyroid cancer. Utilization of ultrasound elastography could reduce the rate of thyroid biopsies because of its high elasticity being highly associated with benign cytology.

Comparison of point and two-dimensional shear wave elastography of the spleen in healthy subjects

BACKGROUND Few systematic comparative studies of the different methods of physical elastography of the spleen are currently available.AIM To compare point shear wave and two-dimensional elastography of the spleen considering the anatomical location(upper,hilar,and lower pole).METHODS As part of a prospective clinical study,healthy volunteers were examined for splenic elasticity using four different ultrasound devices between May 2015 and April 2017.The devices used for point shear wave elastography were from Siemens(S 3000)and Philips(Epiq 7),and those used for two-dimensional shear wave elastography were from GE(Logiq E9)and Toshiba(Aplio 500).In addition,two different software versions(5.0 and 6.0)were evaluated for the Toshiba ultrasound device(Aplio 500).The study consisted of three arms:A,B,and C.RESULTS In study arm A,200 subjects were evaluated(78 males and 122 females,mean age 27.9±8.1 years).In study arm B,113 subjects were evaluated(38 men and 75 women,mean age 26.0±6.3 years).In study arm C,44 subjects were enrolled.A significant correlation of the shear wave velocities at the upper third of the spleen(r=0.33088,P<0.0001)was demonstrated only for the Philips Epiq 7 device compared to the Siemens Acuson S 3000.In comparisons of the other ultrasound devices(GE,Siemens,Toshiba),no comparable results could be obtained for any anatomical position of the spleen.The influencing factors age,gender,and body mass index did not show a clear correlation with the measured shear wave velocities.CONCLUSION The absolute values of the shear wave elastography measurements of the spleen and the two different elastography methods are not comparable between different manufacturers or models.

Novel noninvasive quantification of penile corpus caver no sum lesions in hyperlipidemia-induced erectile dysfunction in rabbits by two-dimensional shear-wave elastography

Structural alterations in fibroelastic compone nts of the penile corpus caver no usum(CC)may impair its compliance,resulting in venous leakage and erectile dysfunction(ED).Our study evaluated the effectiveness of noninvasive two-dimensional shear-wave elastography(2-D SWE)in quantifying penile CC lesions in rabbits with hyperlipidemia-induced ED.A total of 12 New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups.Six were fed a high-cholesterol diet containing 2%cholesterol and 8.5%lard for 10 weeks and the other six were fed normal diet as controls.We measured the shear-wave elastic quantitative(SWQ)value of penile CC by 2-D SWE.Erectile function was inv estigated by intracavernous injecti on of pa pa ver i ne,and immunohistochemical(IHC)stain inga nd the wester n blot analysis to determine the penile CC lesions.After 10 weeks,the SWQ values obtained from penile CC were remarkably higher in the high-cholesterol-fed compared with the control group,and the AICP(ICP plateau minus ICP baseline)/MAP(ICP:intracavernous pressure,MAP:mean arterial pressure)was markedly decreased.The IHC staining and western blot revealed extracellular matrix(ECM)accumulation in penile cavernous tissues,and the smooth muscle cell(SMC)phenotypic transition was affected,as indicated by reduced alpha-smooth muscle actin and calponinexpression and increased phospho-myosin light chain?。(p-MLC20)/MLC20 and osteopontin expression.Hyperlipidemia resulted in ECM accumulation accompanied with SMC phenotypic transition in penile CC and impaired the erectile function eventually.These might,in turn,lead to variations in the SWQ values.It suggests that 2-D SWE may be a novel,noninvasive and effective approach that distinguishes penile CC lesions secondary to hyperlipidemia from normal.

Budd-Chiari syndrome in children:Challenges and outcome

Budd-Chiari syndrome(BCS)is an uncommon disease of the liver,characterised by obstruction of the hepatic venous outflow tract.The etiological spectrum of BCS as well as venous obstruction pattern show wide geographical and demographic variations across the globe.Compared to adults with BCS,children have primary BCS as the predominant etiology,earlier clinical presentation,and hence better treatment outcome.Underlying prothrombotic conditions play a key role in the etiopathogenesis of BCS,though work-up for the same is often unyielding in children.Use of next-generation sequencing in addition to conventional tests for thrombophilia leads to better diagnostic yield.In recent years,advances in radiological endovascular intervention techniques have revolutionized the treatment and outcome of BCS.Various non-invasive markers of fibrosis like liver and splenic stiffness measurement are being increasingly used to assess treatment response.Elastography techniques provide a novel non-invasive tool for measuring liver and splenic stiffness.This article reviews the diagnostic and therapeutic advances and challenges in children with BCS.

Current use of intraoperative ultrasound in modern liver surgery

Ultrasound plays an important role not only in preoperative diagnosis but also in intraoperative guidance for liver surgery.Intraoperative ultrasound(IOUS)has become an indispensable tool for modern liver surgeons,especially for minimally invasive surgeries,partially substituting for the surgeon’s hands.In fundamental mode,Doppler mode,contrast enhancement,elastography,and real-time virtual sonography,IOUS can provide additional real-time information regarding the intrahepatic anatomy,tumor site and characteristics,macrovascular invasion,resection margin,transection plane,perfusion and outflow of the remnant liver,and local ablation efficacy for both open and minimally invasive liver resections.Identification and localization of intrahepatic lesions and surrounding structures are crucial for performing liver resection,preserving the adjacent vital vascular and bile ducts,and sparing the functional liver parenchyma.Intraoperative ultrasound can provide critical information for intraoperative decision-making and navigation.Therefore,all liver surgeons must master IOUS techniques,and IOUS should be included in the training of modern liver surgeons.Further investigation of the potential benefits and advances in these techniques will increase the use of IOUS in modern liver surgeries worldwide.This study comprehensively reviews the current use of IOUS in modern liver surgeries.

Liver fibrosis index-based nomograms for identifying esophageal varices in patients with chronic hepatitis B related cirrhosis

BACKGROUND Esophageal varices(EV)are the most fatal complication of chronic hepatitis B(CHB)related cirrhosis.The prognosis is poor,especially after the first upper gastrointestinal hemorrhage.AIM To construct nomograms to predict the risk and severity of EV in patients with CHB related cirrhosis.METHODS Between 2016 and 2018,the patients with CHB related cirrhosis were recruited and divided into a training or validation cohort at The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University.Clinical and ultrasonic parameters that were closely related to EV risk and severity were screened out by univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses,and integrated into two nomograms,respectively.Both nomograms were internally and externally validated by calibration,concordance index(C-index),receiver operating characteristic curve,and decision curve analyses(DCA).RESULTS A total of 307 patients with CHB related cirrhosis were recruited.The independent risk factors for EV included Child-Pugh class[odds ratio(OR)=7.705,95%confidence interval(CI)=2.169-27.370,P=0.002],platelet count(OR=0.992,95%CI=0.984-1.000,P=0.044),splenic portal index(SPI)(OR=3.895,95%CI=1.630-9.308,P=0.002),and liver fibrosis index(LFI)(OR=3.603,95%CI=1.336-9.719,P=0.011);those of EV severity included Child-Pugh class(OR=5.436,95%CI=2.112-13.990,P<0.001),mean portal vein velocity(OR=1.479,95%CI=1.043-2.098,P=0.028),portal vein diameter(OR=1.397,95%CI=1.021-1.912,P=0.037),SPI(OR=1.463,95%CI=1.030-2.079,P=0.034),and LFI(OR=3.089,95%CI=1.442-6.617,P=0.004).Two nomograms(predicting EV risk and severity,respectively)were well-calibrated and had a favorable discriminative ability,with C-indexes of 0.916 and 0.846 in the training cohort,respectively,higher than those of other predictive indexes,like LFI(C-indexes=0.781 and 0.738),SPI(C-indexes=0.805 and 0.714),ratio of platelet count to spleen diameter(PSR)(C-indexes=0.822 and 0.726),King’s score(C-indexes=0.694 and 0.609),and Lok index(C-indexes=0.788 and 0.700).The areas under the curves(AUCs)of the two nomograms were 0.916 and 0.846 in the training cohort,respectively,higher than those of LFI(AUCs=0.781 and 0.738),SPI(AUCs=0.805 and 0.714),PSR(AUCs=0.822 and 0.726),King’s score(AUCs=0.694 and 0.609),and Lok index(AUCs=0.788 and 0.700).Better net benefits were shown in the DCA.The results were validated in the validation cohort.CONCLUSION Nomograms incorporating clinical and ultrasonic variables are efficient in noninvasively predicting the risk and severity of EV.

Sonographic evaluation of prostatic artery embolization:Far beyond size measurements

Prostatic artery embolization(PAE)has gained acceptance as a minimally invasive,safe and effective treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia.Radiologic imaging is an indispensable part of post-interventional evaluation of PAE and serves both clinical and investigational purposes.In this context,ultrasonography(US)has a central and multifaceted role.Gray-scale US is routinely utilized for measurement of significant outcome parameters(prostatic volume,intra-vesical prostatic protrusion and post-void residual volume)before and after PAE.Improvement of these parameters may become more obvious onemonth post-PAE,or later.Contrast-enhanced US(CEUS)with intravenous administration of a second-generation echo-enhancer can demonstrate prostatic infarcts(as enhancement defects)immediately post-PAE and monitor their resolution over time.The volume of prostatic infarcts can also be measured and compared to prostatic volume.Prostatic infarction is a definite sign of the local efficacy of PAE and a predictor of prostate shrinkage and(at least in some patients)of clinical success.CEUS can also be performed intraoperatively in the angio-suite,for on-site evaluation of the ischemic effect;a variation of this technique,with intraarterial(instead of intravenous)administration of diluted echo enhancer,can also be applied intraoperatively,to map the embolized territory and to prevent non-target embolization.Initial experience with USelastographic techniques(shear-wave and strain elastography)has shown that they can detect and quantify the improvement of tissue elasticity post-PAE,thus providing new insights into the therapeutic mechanisms of this treatment.With utilization of high-end equipment,experience and standardized imaging protocols,US could be the primary modality for imaging evaluation of PAE.