UTILITY OF REAL TIME 2D SHEAR WAVE ELASTOGRAPHY IN THE EVALUATION OF NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE LITERATURE

Authors: Andrei Vasile OLTEANU, Gheorghe Gh. BĂLAN, Gabriela ŞTEFĂNESCU, Gheorghe BĂLAN, Anca TRIFAN

Abstract:

Background: Numerous non-invasive methods for determining liver stiffness and fibrosis are now available. On the other hand, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is becoming one of the most frequent liver diseases worldwide. The aim of our study is to review the literature of the field regarding the usefulness of real time two dimension shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) for determining liver stiffness in patients suffering from NAFLD. Real time SWE is perhaps the most recent technique available for performing liver elastography,
being considered, in numerous recent studies, a method characterized by good reliability and up-coming reproducibility for both inter-observer and intra-observer agreements. Unfortunately, very few studies assess the utility of 2D-SWE in the workup of NAFLD patients. As
technology is rapidly evolving, precise choice among different techniques available for elastogram analysis may e crucial in determining and interpreting results. Not the least, as all ultrasonograph techniques, reducing biases caused by inter- and intra-observer variability would refer 2D-SWE as a feasible method to be widely used in assessing liver stiffness of NAFLD patients.

Keywords:
  • elastography
  • liver fibrosis
  • non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
  • shear wave elastography
  • ultrasound