Evaluating short-term outcomes of the value of sound touch elastography (STE) following the treatment for Budd–Chiari syndrome (BCS): a case series study

Abstract

To investigate the value of sound touch elastography (STE) in the evaluation of short-term therapeutic effect of Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) by measuring liver stiffness (LS), and in addition, to analyse the relationships between liver function, pressure gradient of the hepatic veins, and LS. A case series study was conducted at Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical University from August 2020 to December 2020. Patients diagnosed with BCS were recruited prospectively and grouped according to Child-Pugh grade before endovascular therapy. LS was measured using STE before and after therapy. Comparisons between the LS and hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) changes of patients were tested with paired sample t-tests. A total of 46 patients (23 males and 23 females) were included in this study. According to the Child-Pugh scoring criteria, 24 patients were classified as grade A, 16 as grade B, and 6 as grade C. LS was significantly different between the three groups (F=127.01, p<0.001). Post-treatment LS was significantly lower than pre-treatment (p<0.001). The mean HVPG before treatment was 13.02±3.82 mmHg and decreased after intervention (p<0.001). The STE is a potential tool for evaluating short-term therapeutic effect of BCS patients.