Correlation studies between real-time shear wave elastography measuring liver stiffness and the degree of esophageal varices

Abstract

Application of real-time shear wave elastography (SWE) measurement of patients with Chronic severe hepatitis B and liver cirrhosis of the liver stiffness, aimed to explore SWE can evaluate the existence of liver cirrhosis patients with esophageal varices (EV) and its severity. According to the results of gastroscope, 256 cases of patients with chronic liver disease and cirrhosis of the liver can be divided into no EV group,mild EV group,moderate to severe EV group,analysis between groups in patients with liver stiffness, portal vein,spleen vein diameter, the correlation of liver fibrosis indexes and the degree of esophageal varices.Using receives operating characteristic curve (ROC) and area under curve of ROC to evaluate each index prediction ability. Compare the liver stiffiness, portal vein,spleen vein diameter had statistically significant difference in the no EV group, mild EV group,moderate to severe EV group, (F values are respectively 137.86,44.77,73.88, P < 0.05), Patients age, type IV collagen, larninin, hyaluronic acid had no statistically significant difference in the no EV group and mild EV group (P > 0.05) and had statistically significant difference in the other two groups (P < 0.05). Patients with gender, pro-collagen type III N-terminal peptide (PC III NP) had no statistically significant difference in the three groups (P > 0.05). Correlation analysis showed that portal vein, spleen vein diameter, type IV collagen, laminin, hyaluronic acid showed significant positive correlation (P < 0.05),highest correlation was liver stiffness and the degree of esophageal varices, correlation coefficient of 0.689 (P < 0.01). PC III NP and the degree of esophageal varices, liver stiffness showed no correlation (P > 0.05). Liver stiffness area under the ROC curve is 0.923, with a strong ability to predict than the portal vein and splenic vein diameter, LN, IV-C, HA, PCIII NP. Liver stiffness more than 7.55 kPa, diagnose mild EV sensitivity 90.5%, specificity 60%.Liver stiffness more than 18.85 kPa,the sensitivity of the diagnosis of severe EV 82.4%, specificity of 90.5%. SWE liver stiffness measurement was predicted the existence of the EV and the severity of liver disease patients and effective inspection method, can be used as evaluation of liver disease patients with esophageal varices non-invasive indicator of the initial screening.