Search

We aimed to investigate the diagnostic performance of new 2-D shear-wave elastography (SWE) with propagation maps and attenuation imaging (ATI) for quantification of fibrosis and steatosis in non- alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Consecutive patients with NAFLD and healthy volunteers underwent liver stiffness measurement and steatosis quantification by means of vibration- controlled transient elastography coupled with the controlled attenuation parameter as the reference and by 2-D shear-wave elastography (2-D-SWE) with propagation maps and ATI as the investigational methods. We included 232 participants (164 in the NAFLD group and 68 in the healthy control group): 51.7%/49.3% women/men ; mean age, 54.2 +/- 15.2 y ; mean body mass index, 29.4 +/- 6.5 kg/m(2). Significant correlations were found between 2-D- SWE and vibration-controlled transient elastography (r = 0.71, p < 0.0001) and between ATI and the controlled attenuation parameter (r = 0.72, p < 0.0001). NAFLD-specific 2-D-SWE liver stiffness measurement cutoffs were as follows-F >= 2: 7.9 kPa (area under the curve [AUC] = 0.91) ; F >= 3: 10 kPa (AUC = 0.92) ; and F = 4: 11.4 kPa (AUC = 0.95). For steatosis, the best cutoffs by ATI were as follows-S1 = 0.73 dB/cm/MHz (AUC = 0.86) ; S2 = 0.76 dB/cm/MHz (AUC = 0.86) ; and S3 = 0.80 dB/cm/MHz (AUC = 0.83). According to Baveno VI criteria, the optimal 2-D-SWE liver stiffness measurement for diagnosing liver cirrhosis is 15.5 kPa (AUC = 0.94), and for ruling out compensated advanced chronic liver disease it is 9.2 kPa (AUC = 0.92). To conclude, 2-D-SWE with propagation maps and ATI is reliable for quantification of liver fibrosis and steatosis in patients with NAFLD.

The goal of this study was to evaluate the performance of two new ultrasound-based techniques (ShearWave PLUS elastography [2-D-SWE PLUS], SSp PLUS Imaging [SSp PLUS]) implemented on the Aixplorer Mach 30 ultrasound system (Supersonic Imagine, Aix-en-Provence, France) for the non-invasive assessment of liver steatosis and fibrosis, using transient elastography (TE) with the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) as reference. This monocentric cross-sectional study included 133 consecutive adult patients with chronic hepatopathies. Liver stiffness and steatosis were evaluated in the same session using the techniques mentioned above. An excellent correlation was observed between liver stiffness measurements obtained with 2-D-SWE PLUS and TE (r = 0.92, p0.0001). The best cutoff value of 2-D-SWE PLUS for predicting F≥2 was 6.8 kPa; for F≥3, 8.4 kPa; and for F4, 11 kPa. With respect to steatosis evaluation, a strong negative correlation between CAP and SSp PLUS values (r = -0.70, p0.0001) was obtained. The best SSp PLUS cutoff value for predicting steatosis was 1537 m/s.

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility and usefulness of two novel elastographic methods, integrated in the same ultrasound machine (Samsung-Medison RS85), one pSWE and one 2D-SWE, for liver fibrosis (LF) assessment using Transient Elastography (TE) as the reference method. Material and methods Our study included 115 subjects, with or without chronic liver disease, in which LF was evaluated in the same session by means of Transient Elastograpy (Fibroscan, EchoSens) and by pSWE and 2D-SWE techniques integrated in the same ultrasound machine (Samsung-Medison RS85 Ultrasound Machine). Reliable liver stiffness (LS) measurements were defined as follows: for TE as the median values of 10 measurements with a success rate of more than 60% and an interquartile range/median ratio (IQR/M) 0.5 and an IQR/M Results Reliable measurements by TE were obtained in 98.2% (113/115), by pSWE in 93.9% (108/115) and by 2D-SWE in 92.1% (106/115) subjects, so the final analysis included 101 patients. We divided the cohort into 3 groups: fibrosis 5.9 kPa (AUROC=0.95, 95% CI (0.89; 0.98), p 8 kPa (AUROC=0.98, 95% CI (0.94; 0.99), p 6.1 kPa (AUROC=0.93, 95% CI (0.86; 0.97), p 7.6 kPa (AUROC=0.98, 95% CI (0.93; 0.99), p Conclusion The novel pSWE and 2D-SWE are feasible methods for assessing liver fibrosis, both techniques strongly correlating with TE results.

The aim of the study was to assess the severity of liver fibrosis and steatosis in a cohort of type 2 diabetic patients, using non-invasive Methods: Transient Elastography (TE) and Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP). Material and Method: The study included 704 type 2 diabetic patients prospectively randomized, evaluated in the same session by means of TE and CAP (FibroScan, EchoSens) to assess both liver fibrosis and steatosis. Reliable liver stiffness measurements (LSM) were defined as the median value of 10 LSM with an IQR/median 300 db/m. Results: Out of 704 diabetics screened we excluded those with associated viral hepatitis, those with an AUDIT-C score ≥ 8 and those with unreliable LSM. The final analysis included 485 subjects (54.3% women, mean age 60 ± 9.5; mean BMI = 31.6 ± 6.1 kg/m2) with reliable LSM. 32.1% of patients had obesity grade I, 17.9 % had obesity grade II and 8.9% had obesity grade III (IMC ≥ 40 kg/m2). Mild, moderate and severe steatosis by means of CAP was found in 15.6%, 15.6 % and 59.3% cases, respectively. The median CAP values of patients with mild, moderate and severe steatosis were 260 db/m, 287.5 db/m and 354 db/m. Clinically relevant fibrosis was detected by means of TE in 19.6% (95/485) of subjects. Conclusion: In our group, 59.3% of diabetic patients had severe steatosis by means of CAP. Regarding the liver fibrosis, we found that 19.6% of them had severe fibrosis (TE ≥ 10.1kPa), suggesting the need for further assessment.

Background Liver stiffness (LS) measurement by elastographic methods is a noninvasive technique for the evaluation of liver fibrosis, which could also be used for predicting the presence of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with liver cirrhosis. Aim The aim of this study was to evaluate two ultrasound based elastographic methods as non-invasive markers for predicting the presence of EV, in a cohort of alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients. Material and Method The study included 77 patients diagnosed with compensated alcoholic liver cirrhosis, who underwent both upper endoscopy and LS assessment by two elastographic methods -Transient Elastography (TE) (Fibroscan/EchoSens) and Point shear wave elastography - Virtual Touch Tissue Quantification (VTQ) (Siemens Acuson S2000). Reliable LS measurements were defined for both methods as the median values of 10 measurements with an interquartile range/median ratio (IQR/M) Results 56 patients out of 77 had valid measurements by both elastographic methods and were included in the final analysis, 40/56 patients with EV. The best cut-off values to rule out the presence of EV in our cohort of alcoholic liver cirrhosis patients, with a NPV of 100% were: ≤ 20.1 kPa for TE (AUROC – 0.9; sensitivity-100%; specificity- 28%; PPV- 56%; NPV- 100%, Lr- 0, LR+1.38) and ≤ 2.1 m/s for VTQ (AUROC – 0.85; sensitivity-100%; specificity- 18%; PPV- 52%; NPV- 100%, Lr- 0, LR+1.21). Conclusion Using for TE the cut-off value ≤ 20.1 kPa and VTQ ≤ 2.1 m/s we can rule out quite accurately the presence of EV in patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis.

In daily practice, many hepatological conditions, such as chronic viral hepatitis, non-alcoholic and alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD and ALD, respectively) need evaluation. This evaluation can be made invasively (by liver biopsy) or non-invasively (by biological tests or by elastographic methods). Elastographic methods can be divided into ultrasound based or magnetic resonance based (MR-Elastography). According to the latest guidelines, (EFSUMB 2017 and WFUMB 2018) ultrasound based elastographic methods can be sub-divided into: Strain Elastography and Shear Wave Elastography (SWE). In hepatological field, SWE is mainly used for liver fibrosis assessment. According to the type of tissue stimulation, SWE can be divided into Transient Elastography (TE) and ARFI technologies (point SWE and 2D-SWE). Transient Elastography (TE) is the oldest elastographic method used in hepatology. Many guidelines and meta-analyses presented its value and limitations (mainly the presence of ascites), including the confounding factors. This method has been proven valuable in HCV and HBV chronic hepatitis, in NAFLD, ALD, post-transplant and in other conditions. The accuracy is increasing with the severity of fibrosis. The New FibroScan system includes a software for spleen stiffness assessment and has a supplementary ultrasound probe for the inspection of the liver, before stiffness evaluation. Point SWE (pSWE) is a quite simple method, working in real time. After the ultrasound examination of the liver, a box of 10/5 mm is placed at more than 1 cm bellow the liver capsule and a button is pressed to measure liver stiffness. The values are expressed in m/s or kPa. The first pSWE system was VTQ (Virtual Touch Quantification) from Siemens, and many papers and meta-analysis proved its good value to predict fibrosis severity in HCV, HBV or NAFLD patients. Later, ElastPQ from Philips was developed and showed a good predictive value in chronic liver disease. Other pSWE techniques were developed by Hitachi, Samsung and other companies. 2D-SWE is a real time elastographic technique, in which liver stiffness is expressed as a colour coded elastogram and also in numeric values. Studies demonstrated that some ultrasound experience is needed for quality measurements. The Aixplorer system from Supersonic Imagine, (SSI) was the first system on the market to use 2D-SWE, and good results of this method were published in several studies and meta-analyses. Other 2D-SWE technologies were developed by GE and Canon, showing good values for clinical practice. Comparative studies were performed in patients with chronic viral hepatitis or NAFLD, evaluating TE, pSWE and 2D-SWE, with liver biopsy as the gold standard. These studies demonstrated that comparable accuracies of al these methods. Studies have been made evaluating TE, pSWE and 2D-SWE as predictors of portal hypertension, but the results are still under discussion regarding pSWE and 2D-SWE. TE has been accepted as a tool to stratify patients at risk for clinically significant portal hypertension. The most recent topic in the field on the non-invasive assessment of liver diseases is the quantification of liver fat. CAP (Controlled Attenuation Parameter) from EchoSens implemented into the FibroScan device, was the first used for liver steatosis quantification. The correlation with histology is quite good (AUROC 0.80-0.85) and CAP is implemented into both the M and XL probes. More recently, other companies such as Hitachi or Canon implemented this type of quantification (attenuation) in their systems (ATT and ATI, respectively), both with interesting results. The same companies included in their latest machines algorithms evaluating the viscosity as a marker of the inflammation in the liver. In this respect, we go now in the direction of a multi-parametric elastographic approach of liver diseases, which quantifies stiffness, steatosis and inflammation. Confounding factors must be known regarding ultrasound based liver elastography to avoid clinical mistakes. In addition, the cut-offs values, which are ultrasound machine specific should be known. Finally, published papers showed the good predictive value of TE, pSWE and 2D-SWE for predicting liver fibrosis severity in daily practice. In conclusion, the body of evidence for ultrasound based elastography is enough strong to recommend this methods for liver diseases assessment. Liver elastography replaced in many cases liver biopsy.

Objective The aim of the study was to highlight the prevalence of liver fibrosis stages assessed by means of transient elastography (TE) in large cohort of patients in a single study centre. Material & Method 22400 liver stiffness (LS) assessments by mean of TE have been performed in our Department during an 11 years period (2007-2018). The study included patients with chronic liver diseases of various etiology. In each patient, 10 valid LS measurements were obtained either with M probe or with XL probe. If no valid LS measurements could be obtained, the evaluation was declared as failure. Reliable LSM were defined as median value of 10 measurements with Interquartile range/median (IQR/M) ≤ 30%, and a Success Rate (SR) ≥ 60%. To discriminate between LS stages by TE we used the following cut-offs (1): F2 - 7 kPa; F3 - 9.5 kPa and F4 - 12 kPa. Results The feasibility in our cohort was 90.1%, 2238 of 22400 measurements (9.9%) were failed or unreliable. Based on TE cut-off values, the severity of liver fibrosis in our group was as follows: F Conclusion Transient elastography had a feasibility of 90.1% in this large cohort, almost half of the patients (48.5%) having at most mild fibrosis, and approximately one quarter having cirrhosis (27.4%).

The breast section of these Guidelines and Recommendations for Elastography produced under the auspices of the World Federation of Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) assesses the clinically used applications of all forms of elastography used in breast imaging. The literature on various breast elastography techniques is reviewed, and recommendations are made on evidence-based results. Practical advice is given on how to perform and interpret breast elastography for optimal results, with emphasis placed on avoiding pitfalls. Artifacts are reviewed, and the clinical utility of some artifacts is discussed. Both strain and shear wave techniques have been shown to be highly accurate in characterizing breast lesions as benign or malignant. The relationship between the various techniques is discussed, and recommended interpretation based on a BI-RADS-like malignancy probability scale is provided. This document is intended to be used as a reference and to guide clinical users in a practical way.

Our aim was to assess kidney shear wave speed by means of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography in patients without kidney pathology ("normal" patients) and to identify the factors that influence it. We analyzed 91 "normal" patients in whom kidney shear wave speed was assessed by means of ARFI elastography. Five valid ARFI elastographic measurements were obtained in all "normal" patients in both kidneys. In univariate analysis, age (r = -0.370, p = 0.003), gender (female vs. male, r = -0.305, p = 0.003) and measurement depth (r = -0.285, p = 0.01) were significantly correlated with kidney shear wave speed values assessed by ARFI elastography, whereas body mass index, kidney length and renal parenchyma thickness were not correlated. In multivariate analysis, only age (p = 0.006) and gender (p = 0.03) were significantly correlated with kidney shear wave speed values. In conclusion, kidney shear wave speed values assessed by ARFI elastography in "normal" patients are influenced mainly by age and gender and less by measurement depth.

Background and aim The goals of this study were to compare the noninvasive diagnostic performance of two elastography techniques for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in a cohort of patients with known hepatitis C virus using Transient Elastography FibroScan as the method of reference since it is a validated tool for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis. Material and Methods The study included 122 patients aged 38-80 (62 ± 7.9), 35% male (43/122), 65% female (79/122) with known hepatitis C virus in whom liver stiffness was evaluated during the same session by means of three elastography Methods: Point Shear Wave Elastography (pSWE) using virtual touch quantification(VTQ) technology Siemens Acuson S2000TM, Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography (2D-SWE) embedded in General Electrics LOGIQ E9 ultrasound machine and Transient Elastography(TE;FibroScan, EchoSens). Reliable LS measurements were defined, for all techniques, as the median value of 10 measurements with an interquartile range/median(IQR/MED) Results Reliable liver stiffness measurements were obtained in 93% (114/122) of cases by means of TE, 88% (107/122) of cases by means of VTQ and 87% (106/122) of cases by means of 2D-SWE.GE. In the final analysis we included 93 patients which had reliable stiffness measurements with all methods.The AUROCS were calculated considering TE as the reference method. The optimal cutoff of VTQ for cirrhosis was 1.77m/s(SE:83%; SP:88%; AUC:0.89) and for 2D-SWE.GE was 10.2 kPa(SE:86%; SP:77%; AUC:0.89). No statistical differences were found between both methods(p Conclusion Both methods have similar performance for diagnosing liver cirrhosis and seem to be a promising alternative to Transient Elastography in evaluating patients with liver fibrosis.

Background In the current literature, there is only a small number of studies that have evaluated the utility of point share wave elastography for pancreatic assessment. Objective To assess the feasibility of Virtual Touch Quantification (VTQ) elastography for pancreas assessment, as well as the mean pancreatic stiffness values in healthy subjects. Material and Method We included 70 subjects (52.8% women, 47.2% men, average BMI = 25.9 ± 4.9 kg/m2, average age 46.8 ± 18.4 years) with a normal pancreatic ultrasound aspect and with no history of pancreatic disease or diabetes, in whom elastography measurements were performed with a Siemens Acuson S2000 Virtual Touch ultrasound system (Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany) using a 4CI transducer. For each patient, 10 valid VTQ measurements of the pancreatic parenchyma were performed under fasting conditions. Reliable measurements were defined as a median value of ten pancreas stiffness measurements with a success rate ≥ 60% and an interquartile range interval Results Out of 70 subjects, reliable measurements were acquired in 61 subjects (87.1%) by means of VTQ elastography. The mean pancreas stiffness values in healthy subjects was 1.26 m/s ± 0.1 m/s, CI 95% (1.24-1.28). There were no significant differences between the mean pancreas stiffness in men vs. women 1.25 m/s ± 0.09 m/s, CI 95% (1.21-1.28) vs. 1.28 m/s ± 0.1 m/s CI 95% (1.25-1.31) (p = 0.103). Conclusion VTQ can be a useful tool for pancreas quantification characterized by a good feasibility (87.1%) in healthy subjects. The mean pancreas stiffness values in healthy individuals was 1.26 m/s ± 0.1m/s.

Introduction While most ultrasound elastography methods employ transient stimulation methods, the new time harmonic elastography (THED) relies on time-harmonic vibrations in the same manner as magnetic resonance elastography. The aim of our study was to assess the performance of the THED system for ruling in/out liver cirrhosis (LC) considering transient elastography (TE) as the reference method, as well as and the correlation of THED values with TE. Material & Method We evaluated by THED a group of 70 patients. Each subject has been fasting for more than 6 hours before evaluation. 10 valid LS measurements were performed in the same day, both by THED and by TE. We used the TE cut-off values published by Tsochatzis (1): significant fibrosis (F ≥ 2)- 7.0kPa and for LC (F = 4)- 12kPa as reference values. Quality criteria recommended by the manufacturer: SR ≥ 60%, IQR Results From the 70 patients, 34 were women and 36 men. Mean age 55.2 ± 11.7, mean BMI 27.8 ± 6.2 kg/m2. Of the 70 patients, 15.8% (11/70) were F4, 25.7% (18/70) were F2-3, 58.5 % (41/70) were F0-1.We had 100% feasibility for all the patients that were previously evaluated by TE. The cut-off for ruling out LC by THED measurements on our study group was 2 m/s (11.9 kPa). AUROC = 0.83, 95%CI (0.73-0.91), P Conclusions In our study, the cut-of values to rule-out and rule-in LC by LS measurements with THED system were 11.9 kPa, respectively. There was a strong correlation between the LS values obtained by the two elastographic methods.

Introduction and aim Transient Elastography with Controlled Attenuation Parameter(CAP) was recently introduced as a noninvasive method for quantification of liver steatosis.The aim of this study is to assess the performance of ultrasound(US) compared to CAP for the detection and quantification of liver steatosis. Material and Methods 323 patients aged 22-83 (54.7 ± 13.5), 44% male (142/323), 56% female (181/323) with or without different chronic hepatopathies were included in the study.All patients were assessed by US and CAP using Transient Elastography (FibroScan, EchoSense) during the same session in fasting conditions.US examinations were performed by EFSUMB level 1 qualification practitioners using high tech US systems. We used the following cut-offs for quantifying liver steatosis by CAP: 230-275, 275-300 and > 300 db/m for mild, moderate and severe steatosis(S1,S2,S3) following the recommendations of the manufacturer.US classification of liver steatosis was based on the comparison between liver and renal cortex echogenicity; grade 0 – echogenicity equal to the renal cortex, grade 1 – increased echogenicity and no posterior attenuation, grade 2 - increased echogenicity and posterior attenuation without obscuring the diaphragmatic outline, grade 3 - echogenic liver with posterior attenuation that obscures the diaphragmatic outline. Results Based on the cut-off values proposed (CAP) steatosis distribution was 28.8% / 23.2% / 15.8% / 32.2% for S0 / S1 / S2 / S3.By means of US steatosis distribution was 31.6% / 23.5% / 20.4% / 24.5% for S0 / S1 / S2 / S3.Regarding hepatic steatosis US was significantly correlated with CAP score (r = 0.77, p Conclusion US examination is a useful and cheap tool for clinical practice in the screening and quantification of hepatic steatosis, even in the hands of a novice.

Nonalcoholic Liver Disease (NAFLD) is increasing in frequency in daily practice. Evaluation of such patients needs to assess steatosis, fibrosis and inflammation.A new Ultrasound(US) system from Canon noninvasively evaluates these parameters by measuring shear waves speed (2D-SWE) - related to viscoelasticity and fibrosis; dispersion (DI) - related to viscosity and inflammation, and attenuation parameter (ATI) - related to steatosis. Aim: To evaluate the usefulness of 2D-SWE, DI and ATI measurements obtained using Aplio i800 from Canon, for the noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis, inflammation, and steatosis using Transient Elastography (TE) with Controlled Attenuation Parameter (CAP) as the reference method. Material and Method: 113 consecutive subjects were included in the study group, mostly NAFLD patients, in whom liver stiffness (LS) and steatosis were evaluated in the same session by means of 2 elastography techniques: TE with CAP (FibroScan, EchoSens) and 2D-SWE with ATI(Aplio I800, Canon). Reliable LS measurements were defined for TE as the median value of 10 measurements with an interquartile range/median ratio (IQR/M) To discriminate between TE fibrosis stages we used the following cut-offs [1]: F ≥ 2: 8.4 kPa and F4: 13.2 kPa and to discriminate between steatosis stages we used the following cut-offs recommended by the manufacturer: S1(mild) – 230db/m, S2(moderate) - 275db/m, S3(severe) - 300db/m. Results: Reliable LS measurements were obtained in 99.1% subjects by both 2D-SWE and TE.A very strong positive correlation was found between the LS values obtained by the 2 Methods: r = 0.88, p The best cut-off value for fibrosis, for F0/1 was ≤ 6.2 kPa (AUROC 0.82; Se = 75%; Sp = 85.5%), for F ≥ 2 it was 7.9 kPa (AUROC 0.96; Se = 90.4%; Sp = 95.6%), for F4 it was 11.7 kPa (AUROC 0.99; Se = 100%; Sp = 96%). Regarding steatosis, the best cut-off values were: for S1 = 0.64 dB/cm/mHz (AUROC 0.89; Se = 73.6%; Sp = 88.8%), for S2 = 0.79 dB/cm/mHz (AUROC 0.88; Se = 63.4%; Sp = 96.4%), for S3 = 0.86dB/cm/mHz (AUROC 0.95; Se = 45%; Sp = 100%). When we divided the cohort into healthy vs patients with chronic hepatopathies, we found out that the mean DI values in the pathology group were higher than in the healthy group(12.4 ± 2.7 vs 11.5 ± 1.9, p = 0.03) Conclusion: 2D-SWE and ATI measurements with the new system strongly correlate with TE and CAP results 110.1111/apt.14529

Our study compared three elastographic methods—transient elastography (TE), acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging and supersonic shear imaging (SSI)—with respect to the feasibility of their use in liver fibrosis evaluation. We also compared the performance of ARFI imaging and SSI, with TE as the reference method. The study included 332 patients, with or without hepatopathies, in which liver stiffness was evaluated using TE, ARFI and SSI. Reliable measurements were defined as a median value of 10 (TE, ARFI imaging) or 5 (SSI) liver stiffness measurements with a success rate ≥60% and an interquartile range interval

Our study tried to identify the factors associated with discordance between liver stiffness values assessed by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography and histologic fibrosis in 106 chronic hepatitis C patients. Liver biopsy (LB) and ARFI measurements were performed in the same session. A discordance of at least two stages of fibrosis in the Metavir scoring system between ARFI results and LB was defined as significant. The performance of ARFI elastography was assessed using the following cut-offs: F1-1.19 m/s, F2-1.34 m/s, F3-1.55 m/s and F4-1.80 m/s. Discordance of at least two stages of fibrosis between ARFI results and histologic assessment were observed in 31.7% of the patients. In an univariate analysis, female sex (p = 0.004), interquartile range interval (IQR) ≥30% (p = 0.04), high alanine aminotransferases (p = 0.008) and high aspartate aminotransferases levels (p = 0.003) were associated with discordances. In a multivariate analysis, the female sex (p = 0.006) and IQR ≥30% (p = 0.004) were associated with discordances. Therefore, IQR parameter should be used for ARFI measurements.

Our aim was to compare liver stiffness (LS) measurements by means of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography and transient elastography (TE) in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C, according to the severity of fibrosis. We also compared the correlation strength of ARFI and TE measurements with liver fibrosis. We included 53 patients with hepatitis B and 107 with hepatitis C in which liver biopsy, ARFI and TE measurements were performed in the same session. The mean LS values measured with ARFI were similar in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C and depended on the stage of fibrosis. The correlation strength of LS measurements by ARFI and by TE with fibrosis was similar in chronic hepatitis B and C patients. In conclusion, for the same stage of fibrosis, the mean LS values by ARFI were similar in patients with chronic hepatitis B and C. ARFI had similar predictive value with TE in both chronic viral hepatitis.

Our study assessed acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) reproducibility and the factors influencing it. The intra- and interoperator reproducibility were studied in 33 and 58 patients, respectively. Intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) was used to assess ARFI reproducibility. The overall intraoperator agreement was better than the interoperator one: ICC 0.90 vs. ICC 0.81. The correlation of repeated ARFI measurements was higher, but not significantly so, in cases in which intraoperator reproducibility was assessed compared with the ones in which interoperator reproducibility was studied: r = 0.848 vs. r = 0.694 (p = 0.08). For both intra- and interoperator reproducibility, the ICCs were smaller in women vs. men (0.88 vs. 0.91 and 0.67 vs. 0.86, respectively), in patients with high body mass index (BMI) ≥25 kg/m² vs.