Different kinetics of liver stiffness using shear wave elastography in patients with chronic hepatitis C infection treated with interferon-free regimens.

BACKGROUND: Direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) lead to a high rate of sustained virologic response (SVR) in chronic hepatitis C infection. The aim was to evaluate liver stiffness kinetics, using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging elastography, during and after DAAs in patients who had reached SVR. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 275 consecutive chronic hepatitis C virus-infected patients were included in this longitudinal prospective single-centre study. All patients received DAAs for 8 to 24 weeks, and liver stiffness measurements (LSMs) by ARFI at baseline, at week 4, week 12, week 24, and 24 weeks (SVR24) and 48 weeks (FU48) after the end of treatment were recorded. Transient elastography was performed at baseline and at SVR24. RESULTS: A decrease in LSM was detected at SVR24 by ARFI and transient elastography (P<0.001 and <0.001, respectively). A continuous gradual decrease in ARFI was observed in patients with cirrhosis versus a nonsignificant change in patients without cirrhosis until FU48 (P<0.001 vs. 0.877, respectively). At SVR24, higher baseline ARFI values (P=0.038) were associated with a decrease in LSM in patients with cirrhosis versus normal international normalization ratio (P=0.003), lower bilirubin (P=0.003), and higher albumin (P=0.007) in patients without cirrhosis. The incidence of liver stiffness decrease from baseline was higher in patients with cirrhosis than in those without cirrhosis (P<0.001), whereas the incidence of liver stiffness progression was more pronounced in advanced than in compensated cirrhosis (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: After DAAs in patients with SVR, liver stiffness improves in patients with cirrhosis, whereas non-cirrhotic patients show no true change in liver stiffness. Liver stiffness worsens in patients with advanced liver disease.

Ethanol sclerotherapy or polidocanol sclerotherapy for symptomatic hepatic cysts.

BACKGROUND: Over the past decades, multiple approaches to aspiration sclerotherapy of large symptomatic hepatic cysts have been investigated. However, comparative data are scarce. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is to compare cyst reduction, symptomatic relief, and adverse events between ethanol sclerotherapy and polidocanol sclerotherapy. METHODS: This retrospective study included adults having a symptomatic hepatic cyst treated at a European tertiary referral center with ethanol sclerotherapy (Center 1) or polidocanol-sclerotherapy (Center 2). We compared cyst diameter reduction (%) and symptom improvement (yes/no) within 12 months' post-treatment between centers using multivariate regression analyses adjusted for confounding factors. Finally, we compared adverse events using Fisher's exact test. RESULTS: We included 71 patients from Center 1 and 66 patients from Center 2 (median age 57 years; 126/137 (92%) female). Cyst reduction was comparable between Centers 1 and 2: 37.5% (IQR 15.7-61.0%) versus 44.2% (IQR 24.6-60.5%), respectively (p = 0.35). Correspondingly, symptomatic relief was comparable: 30/53 (56.6%) versus 43/66 (65.2%), respectively (p = 0.88). Center 1 reported significantly more (11 versus 3; p = 0.047) adverse events than Center 2. CONCLUSION: We found comparable cyst reduction and symptomatic relief rates between ethanol- and polidocanol sclerotherapy, while adverse events occurred more often in the ethanol group. Prospective studies focused on clinical response are needed to further explore differences between approaches.

Testosterone-receptor positive hepatocellular carcinoma in a 29-year old bodybuilder with a history of anabolic androgenic steroid abuse: a case report.

BACKGROUND: Continuous use of anabolic androgenic steroid in high-doses is associated with substantial health risks, including hepatocellular adenoma. Malignant transformation from hepatocellular adenoma to hepatocellular carcinoma after anabolic androgenic steroid abuse has been rarely reported. The morphological distinction of adenoma from well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma is challenging and requires elaborated imaging techniques and histology. CASE PRESENTATION: We report about a 29-year old male professional bodybuilder who presented with mid-epigastric pain at the emergency unit. Ultrasound showed a severe hepatomegaly with multiple lesions. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound revealed a heterogeneous pattern with signs of hepatocellular carcinoma. CT scan of the abdomen confirmed multiple hypervascular lesions and central areas of necrosis without contrast enhancement. Subsequent diagnostics included fine needle aspiration (FNA) of suspicious lesions and mini-laparoscopy to establish the diagnosis of a ß-catenin and testosterone-receptor positive hepatocellular carcinoma embedded in multiple adenomas. The patient was subsequently treated by liver transplantation and remains tumor-free 27 month after surgery. CONCLUSION: Hepatocellular carcinoma occurring in association with anabolic androgenic steroid abuse should sensitize physicians and especially professional bodybuilders for the harmful use of high doses of steroids.

Changes in liver stiffness using acoustic radiation force impulse imaging in patients with obstructive cholestasis and cholangitis.

BACKGROUND: Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging is used to assess stages of liver fibrosis. The aim of our study was to evaluate liver stiffness changes in patients with biliary obstruction with or without sclerosing cholangitis after biliary drainage. METHODS: A total of 71 patients were enrolled in this prospective study (cohort N=51, control group N=20); 51 patients with obstructive cholestasis, indicated for endoscopic retrograde cholangiography, received stiffness measurement by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging before and 1-2 days after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography. Seventeen patients with obstructive cholestasis had primary or secondary sclerosing cholangitis. Forty one patients had a follow-up acoustic radiation force impulse imaging measurement after 3.0 ± 9.31 weeks. RESULTS: In all patients with obstructive cholestasis, stiffness decreased significantly after biliary drainage (p<0.001). The main decrease was observed within 2 days after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (1.92-1.57 m/s, p<0.001) and correlated with the decrease of bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase (p=0.04 and p=0.002, respectively). In patients with sclerosing cholangitis, the initial decrease of stiffness after biliary drainage was weaker than in those without (2.1-1.85 m/s vs. 1.81-1.43 m/s, p=0.016). CONCLUSION: Acoustic radiation force impulse imaging elastography shows that liver stiffness is increased by biliary obstruction, and decreases after endoscopic retrograde cholangiography irrespective of the aetiology. In patients with sclerosing cholangitis the reduction in stiffness after biliary drainage is impaired.

Influence of different frequencies and insertion depths on the diagnostic accuracy of liver elastography by acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI).

BACKGROUND: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging (ARFI) is an innovative elastography for staging of liver fibrosis. We evaluated the diagnostic accuracy of different probes to perform ARFI at different insertion depths. METHODS: In a prospective study, 89 chronic HCV infected patients underwent ARFI elastography using both available probes (c-ARFI: C4-1-MHz; l-ARFI: L9-4 MHz) in comparison to Fibroscan(®). Variability of ARFI elastography at different insertion depths was systematically evaluated in 39 patients (44%). According to Fibroscan(®) elastography, 32 patients (36%) presented with liver cirrhosis, 23 patients (26%) had significant fibrosis and 34 patients (38%) had no significant fibrosis. RESULTS: Mean propagation velocity with c-ARFI was 1.70±0.67m/s and 1.91±0.87m/s with l-ARFI. Results of both probes were correlated to each other (p<0.001; r=0.70) and to Fibroscan(®) (p<0.001, r=0.82 and 0.84, respectively). In patients with significant fibrosis or with cirrhosis, mean values by l-ARFI were significantly higher than by c-ARFI (p<0.001). For detection of liver cirrhosis, AUROC was 0.97 for c-ARFI (cut-off level 1.72m/s) and 0.90 for l-ARFI (cut-off 2.04m/s). Correlation coefficients of c-ARFI with Fibroscan(®) were highest at an insertion depth of 5-6cm (r=0.882 and 0.864, respectively, p<0.001) and at 3-4cm for l-ARFI (r=0.850 and 0.838, respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSIONS: ARFI elastography with the linear and with the convex probes showed comparable validity and accuracy in the estimation of liver stiffness. The linear probe gave higher ARFI values. The most accurate insertion depth was 5-6cm for c-ARFI and 3-4cm for l-ARFI indicating that measurements should not be performed close to the liver capsule.

Fine needle sclerotherapy as a new effective therapeutic approach for nonparasitic splenic cysts: a case series.

BACKGROUND: Nonparasitic splenic cysts are rare. Until now, surgical intervention has been the standard therapy of symptomatic splenic cysts. AIMS: We herein present a retrospective analysis of an approach using percutaneous ultrasound-guided fine needle aspiration and sclerotherapy. METHODS: Out of 88,151 ultrasound reports, we identified 138 patients who presented with splenic cysts. A single splenic cyst was found in 88% (mean size 28.9 mm). Twelve patients underwent percutaneous therapy of symptomatic splenic cysts. They were younger, had larger splenic cysts and more often cyst internal echoes than the 126 untreated patients (all p < 0.0001). RESULTS: Initial sclerotherapy was performed with polidocanol 1% in 9 patients and with NaCl 10% in 2 patients. One hemorrhagic cyst was only purged. Serious adverse events were not noted. Eight patients had to undergo 1-11 further percutaneous cyst therapies. 15 of these 30 reinterventions were cyst aspiration therapies, only, and 11 of them were sclerotherapies with NaCl 10%. Four patients were readmitted to hospital for cyst retreatment. After 57 ± 43 months of follow-up, cyst size significantly decreased (p < 0.0001). Only two patients had a complicated course of cyst therapy. CONCLUSIONS: Percutaneous ultrasound-guided sclerotherapy is a new approach for symptomatic splenic cysts. In most patients, cyst size and symptoms can be significantly reduced during one hospital stay.

No evidence of substantial growth progression or complications of large focal nodular hyperplasia during pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is a benign liver tumor considered to develop under the influence of estrogens. Whether women with known FNH are at higher risk of growth progression and complications during pregnancy is still controversially discussed. The authors investigated the growth pattern of FNH during pregnancy and possible related complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Twenty pregnant women with FNH were followed by the authors' center. Before pregnancy, diagnosis of FNH was usually established by contrast-enhanced ultrasound. During pregnancy, monitoring of FNH was performed by conventional ultrasound. Furthermore, a questionnaire was sent to all patients. RESULTS: Patient's age ranged from 24 to 36 years. Mean size of FNH before pregnancy was 58.5 ± 22.7 mm. It did not vary significantly during pregnancy (fourth month of pregnancy: 58.1 ± 23.0 mm; after pregnancy: 55.5 ± 26.8 mm; -8%; n.s.). Only in three patients, growth of FNH by 18 ± 6% was observed, while FNH size remained constant in 7 patients and even declined by -11 ± 6% in 10 patients. There were no FNH-related complications. The questionnaire was sent back by 16 patients (80%). All responding patients took oral contraceptives in the past over a mean 12.4 ± 4.4 years. Previous pregnancies were reported by 38% of patients. FNH-related fears were expressed by 63% of patients, but no FNH-related complications or symptoms during pregnancy were noted. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that women with FNH are not at risk of significant growth progression or FNH-related complications. Pregnancy should not be discouraged in these patients but careful advice and guidance are necessary.

Transcutaneous perianal sonography: a sensitive method for the detection of perianal inflammatory lesions in Crohn's disease.

AIM: Pelvic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and endoanal ultrasound which are established imaging methods for perianal inflammatory lesions in patients with Crohn's disease require expensive specialized equipments and expertise. We investigated the feasibility and sensitivity of transcutaneous perianal ultrasound (PAUS) using regular ultrasound probes in the imaging of perianal inflammatory lesions. The sonographic findings were correlated to pelvic MRI-scans. METHODS: We performed PAUS in 25 patients with Crohn's disease and clinical signs of perianal inflammatory disease. Within a median of 10 d (range 0-75) these patients underwent MRI of the pelvis. Regular convex and linear high resolution probes were used for PAUS. The sonographic findings were correlated to the MRI findings by blinded investigators. RESULTS: The sonographic investigations were well tolerated by all patients. Fistulae typically presented as hypoechoic tracks. Twenty-nine fistulae were detected in 22 patients. Abscesses were detected in 7 patients and presented as hypo- or anechoic formations. Twenty-six of 29 fistulae and 6 of 7 abscesses could be confirmed by MRI. Kappa statistics showed an excellent agreement (kappa>0.83) between the two imaging methods. CONCLUSION: PAUS is a simple, painless, feasible, real-time method that can be performed without specific patient preparation which is comparable in its sensitivity to pelvic MRI in the detection of perianal fistulae and/or abscesses. PAUS can especially be recommended as a screening tool in acute perianal disorders such as perianal abscess and for follow-up studies of perianal inflammatory disease.