Elastography Guidelines for the Assessment of Diffuse Liver Disease

Abstract

Guidelines for the use of elastography have been produced by the European Federation of Societies for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (EFSUMB) and the World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB), as well as by clinical associations, including the European Association for Study of Liver (EASL) together with the Asociacion Latinoamericana para el Estudio del Higado (ALEH), the Asian Pacific Association for the Study of the Liver (APASL), and the American Gastroenterological Association (AGA). The guidelines produced by these clinical associations are focused on the assessment of diffuse liver disease. Moreover, the Society of Radiologists in Ultrasound (SRU) in the United States has released a consensus statement on the use of elastography in diffuse liver disease. The amount of elastography guidelines that have been issued witnesses the great interest for the use of the available techniques in several clinical settings. EFSUMB has recently produced an update of the previously published guidelines that is dedicated to the assessment of diffuse liver disease but also provides an update of the basic principles where the technology has changed. The EFSUMB and WFUMB guidelines, as well as the SRU consensus statement, describe the advantages and disadvantages associated with the use of each elastography technique and provide a practical guide for both beginners and expert users. The role of elastography in different diseases and in several clinical scenarios is analyzed.