Feasibility of virtual touch tissues quantification technique in the assessment of liver fibrosis / 中华超声影像学杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To evaluate the feasibility of virtual touch tissues quantification (VTQ) technique in the assessment of liver fibrosis and to find the suitable measuring position of VTQ. Methods Liver stiffness was measured with Acuson S2000 ultrasound system in totally 533 subjects including healthy people ( n = 302), patients with hepatitis B virus(HBV) ( n = 191) and patients with fatty liver ( n =40). Each subject received VTQ measurements in four parts (superficial and deep parts of right lobe, and superficial and deep parts of left lobe) and every part was measured five times to get five values. The reproducibility of different part of VTQ was analyzed with intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results The achievement rate was high in both right and left lobes,especially in right lobe. The lowest rate was from the deep part of left lobe. Except deep part of left hepatic lobe in fatty liver,all parts of liver in all groups of patients were with ICC higher than 0. 75. In deep part of right lobe, VTQ values were (1.12 ± 0. 19)m/s in control group subjects, (1.83 ± 0. 62)m/s in patients with hepatitis B virus and (1.05 ± 0. 25)m/s in patients with fatty liver. There was significant difference of VTQ value between control group and patients with HBV ( P = 0.000), also between patients with HBV and patients with fatty liver ( P = 0.000). Conclusions It is stable to measure liver stiffness with VTQ technique, which is a new method to evaluate liver stiffness noninvasively. Right hepatic lobe is the most suitable position to be measured.