Introduction
The burden of chronic liver disease Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality and an important contributor to the burden of disease and health care…
ULTRASONOGRAPHY
Protocols for liver stiffness acquisition
General protocol For all of the ultrasound (US) shear wave elastography (SWE) techniques (vibration controlled transient elastography [VCTE], point shear wave elastography [pSWE] and two-dimensional shear wave elastography [2D-SWE]), adherence…
The role of ultrasound in portal hypertension
Introduction Portal hypertension (PH) is a clinical syndrome characterized by an increase of the pressure gradient between the portal vein (PV) and the inferior vena cava (IVC) above 5 mmHg…
Noninvasive assessment of liver steatosis with ultrasound techniques
Introduction Worldwide, obesity has nearly tripled since 1975. The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that, as of 2016, more than 1.9 billion adults 18 years or older were overweight, and,…
Staging liver fibrosis with shear wave elastography
Introduction Chronic liver disease is a major worldwide health problem. It may be due to several etiological factors that lead to necroinflammation with subsequent fibrosis (i.e., formation of scar tissue)….
Focal liver lesions in the setting of chronic liver disease
Introduction Any discussion of chronic liver disease (CLD) would be remiss if a detailed description of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) were not included. In 2018 primary liver cancer was projected to…
Artifacts in liver stiffness evaluation
Overview of artifacts in liver shear wave elastography The use of shear wave elastography techniques proves valuable in providing qualitative and quantitative elasticity maps of the liver. There are, however,…
Tips and tricks for liver stiffness evaluation
Before scanning the patient It is important to remember that liver stiffness is measured, not liver fibrosis. Liver stiffness is influenced by fibrosis, inflammation, and congestion. Therefore obtaining clinical information…
Shear wave dispersion
Introduction Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) is a continually developing technology that provides biomechanical information concerning tissue elasticity (stiffness) by emitting a push pulse, which generates laterally propagating shear waves…
Conventional ultrasound findings in chronic liver disease
Introduction Chronic liver disease (CLD) is a substantial worldwide problem. Any disease that incites liver inflammation can lead to liver fibrosis, which can then progress to cirrhosis. The stage of…
