N. Haliloglu, Ankara, TR

To investigate the relationship between liver stiffness values obtained with 2 dimensional (2D) Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) and laboratory findings in patients with chronic parenchymal liver disease.

Material and methods

We evaluated liver parenchymal stiffness of 119 patients with chronic parenchymal liver disease who underwent US imaging in our department between February 2018–May 2019. At least 8 measurements were obtained in each patient and liver stiffness was displayed in kilopascals. Correlation between liver stiffness values and age, gender, serum albumin, bilirubin, AST and ALT levels, prothrombin time (PT) and INR (International Normalized Ratio) values of the patients’ were investigated.

Results

There were 64 female, and 55 male patients with a mean age of 58 years. Liver stiffness values were between 5,96 kPa–16,54 kPa. According to the METAVIR Score System 32 patients had mild or no fibrosis, 18 had mild to moderate fibrosis, 15 had moderate to severe fibrosis, and 54 had cirrhosis. Strong correlation was found between liver stiffness and age, serum albumin, total/direct bilirubin, AST levels, PT and INR values , but correlation between liver stiffness and gender, and serum ALT levels were not statistically significant. We also found that although age and liver stiffness is correlated in the noncirrhotic group there is no statistically significant correlation in patients with cirrhosis.

Conclusion

2D SWE findings are strongly correlated with laboratory findings and can be considered as a parameter to follow up patients with chronic parenchymal liver diseases. Liver stiffness measurement in combination with biochemical analysis would help to stage the disease and predict the prognosis.

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