Clinical applications of spleen ultrasound elastography – a review
In the last few years, notable technical progress has taken place in ultrasound elastography. Qualitative methods have been replaced by quantitative ones, such as: transient elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse and shear wave elastography. Owing to the fact that the spleen is superficia...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Sciendo
2018-03-01
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| Series: | Journal of Ultrasonography |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://jultrason.pl/index.php/issues/volume-18-no-72/clinical-applications-of-spleen-ultrasound-elastography-a-review?aid=583 |
| Summary: | In the last few years, notable technical progress has taken place in ultrasound elastography.
Qualitative methods have been replaced by quantitative ones, such as: transient
elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse and shear wave elastography. Owing to
the fact that the spleen is superficially located, it is possible to obtain reliable measuring
accuracy of its hardness using sonoelastography. Lately, many researchers have been
investigating how spleen elasticity changes in patients infected with hepatitis B virus or
hepatitis C virus and in patients suffering from liver fibrosis, portal hypertension, esophageal
varices or myelofibrosis. In this article, we review the role and current status of accessible
qualitative ultrasound elastography methods, including recent advances in the
evaluation of spleen stiffness and its clinical utility. As study results demonstrate, spleen
stiffness correlates with liver fibrosis and is helpful in determining the level of fibrosis in
the METAVIR scoring system. In patients infected with hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus,
spleen stiffness increases even when liver elasticity remains unaltered. Furthermore,
it is useful in diagnosing portal hypertension or predicting existence of esophageal varices.
Moreover, in patients suffering from biliary atresia after Kasai portoenterostomy, spleen
sonoelastography may be helpful in selecting patients for liver transplantation as well as
for choosing the best strategy for portal vein reconstruction before liver transplantation.
In myelofibrosis, spleen stiffness correlates with bone marrow fibrosis and may be used to
assess the response to treatment. Spleen sonoelastography is also useful in the monitoring
of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt function. |
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| ISSN: | 2084-8404 2451-070X |