Ultrasound shear wave elastography in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis stage
Examination results of 100 patients (41 male, 59 female) with chronic diffuse liver diseases were retrospectively analyzed. Chronic hepatitis C was found in 34 patients, chronic hepatitis B - in 7, chronic hepatitis G - in 1, autoimmune hepatitis - in 4, primary biliary liver cirrhosis - in 15, and chronic hepatitis of unknown etiology - in 39. The age of patients ranged from 18 to 77 years. All patients underwent shear wave elastography using Aixplorer scanner (SuperSonic Imagine, France). Average values of liver parenchyma stiffness (Emean), obtained in a series of 5 measurements in each patient, were assessed. Elastography data were compared with morphological findings (liver biopsy). According to morphological results, the patients were divided into 4 groups: F0-F1 Metavir stage - 31 patients, F2 - 9 patients, F3 - 15 patients, F4 - 45 patients. Young modulus values in groups F0-F1, F2, F3, and F4 were 5.4 (4.8-7.2), 8.5 (8.3-8.9), 13.5 (10.1-14.8), and 22.0 (18.2-28.5) kPa correspondingly. The differences between all groups were significant (P < 0.05). Strong correlation between liver stiffness (Young modulus) and morphological fibrosis stage (Metavir score) was noted (Spearman’s rank correlation coefficient - 0.81, P < 0.1 х 10 <sup>6</sup>). The sensitivity, specificity, and AUC of test “Emean ≥7.50 kPa - ≥F2 Metavir stage” were 97.1%, 77,4%, and 0.915; test “Emean ≥13.25 kPa - ≥F3” - 88.3%, 92.5%, and 0.932; test “Emean ≥14,90 kPa - F4” - 95.6%, 89.1%, and 0.930.