Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Values Research Articles

Assessing the Utility of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse in the Evaluation of Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease with Severe Obesity or Steatosis

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) encompasses a heterogeneous spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to fibrosis and cirrhosis. Fibrosis, associated with long-term overall mortality and liver-related events, requires evaluation. Traditionally, liver biopsy has been the gold standard for diagnosing fibrosis. However, its invasive nature, potential complications, and sampling variability limit widespread use. Consequently, various non-invasive tests have been developed as alternatives for diagnosing fibrosis in NAFLD patients. Aim: This study aimed to compare the accuracy of non-invasive tests (NITs) and evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), one of the point shear wave techniques, compared to conventional methods, assessing its effective role in diagnosis. Methods: This is a retrospective study; a total of 136 patients diagnosed with fatty liver disease through ultrasonography were enrolled. The anthropometric data of the patients were collected on the day of admission and blood tests, measurements of ARFI, and a point shear test were conducted using abdominal ultrasound; a biopsy was performed the following day. In addition, we calculated the aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI) index based on four factors (FIB-4) and the NAFLD fibrosis score (NFS). Subsequently, we assessed the diagnostic accuracy of NITs within various subgroups based on the extent of obesity, steatosis, or NAFLD activity score. Results: ARFI has been shown to have the highest diagnostic value among various NITs, with AUROC values of 0.832, 0.794, 0.767, and 0.696 for ARFI, APRI, FIB-4, and NFS, respectively. In the morbidly obese subgroup, the AUROC values of ARFI, APRI, FIB-4, and NFS were 0.805, 0.769, 0.736, and 0.674. In the group with severe steatosis or non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), the AUROC values were 0.679, 0.596, 0.661, and 0.612, respectively, for severe steatosis and 0.789, 0.696, 0.751, and 0.691, respectively, for NASH. Conclusion: In conclusion, ARFI is not affected by various factors and maintains diagnostic accuracy compared to serum NITs. Therefore, we can recommend ARFI as a valuable diagnostic test to screen for advanced fibrosis in patients with NAFLD.

Liver stiffness, hepatorenal index, and microRNA-130b as predictors for chronic kidney disease in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

Background and aimCurrently, nonalcoholic liver disease (NAFLD) is the most predominant chronic liver disorder. NAFLD has been linked to hepatic and extrahepatic morbidities. We aimed to investigate the role of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI), hepatorenal index (HRI), and serum microRNA-130b as non-invasive predictors for chronic kidney disease (CKD) in NAFLD patients.Material and methodsIn a case–control design, we included 40 NAFLD patients (20 NAFLD with CKD and 20 NAFLD without CKD) and 20 healthy controls. After clinical evaluation, laboratory assessments including liver test profile, renal function test, and quantification of microRNA-130b were done. Liver steatosis and stiffness were evaluated using HRI and ARFI.ResultsHRI and ARFI readings were significantly higher among NAFLD with CKD patients compared to other groups (P < 0.001). The median values of microRNA-130b were 32.1, 27.01, and 25.36 copies/µl in NAFLD with CKD, NAFLD without CKD, and healthy controls, respectively, with significant differences between groups (P < 0.05). ARFI values and HRI were positively correlated with microRNA-130b (P < 0.05). At a cutoff value > 28.13 copies/µl, microRNA-130b could differentiate between “NAFLD with CKD” and “NAFLD without CKD” patients with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 70%, respectively (AUC = 71.9%, P = 0.018).ConclusionsSerum microRNA-130b, HRI, and ARFI are valuable noninvasive markers for the assessment of NAFLD. MicroRNA-130b is suggested as a sensitive biomarker for the prediction of CKD among NAFLD patients with good sensitivity and specificity.

Comparison of the fibrosis degree using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in chronic hepatitis cases.

The aim of this study was to investigate the correlation of fibrosis stages in cases of chronic hepatitis by comparing shear wave elastography and diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging. A total of 46 chronic hepatitis patients with an age range of 20-50 years were classified into three groups based on their fibrosis stages. Comparison group 1: the presence of fibrosis (S0 and S1≤); comparison group 2: the presence of significant fibrosis (≤S2 and S3≤); and comparison group 3: the presence of cirrhosis (≤S4 and S6). Shear wave velocities were measured by acoustic radiation force impulse elastography. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging was performed on a 3.0 Tesla MRI device. In comparison group 1 (S0 and S1≤), the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of acoustic radiation force impulse values were 0.784, 87, and 60%, respectively, while these values were 0.718, 80, and 66%, respectively, for apparent diffusion coefficient . In comparison group 2 (≤S2 and S3≤), the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of acoustic radiation force impulse values were 0.917, 80, and 86%, respectively, and the apparent diffusion coefficient values were 0.778, 90, and 66%, respectively. In comparison group 3, the area under the curve, sensitivity, and specificity of acoustic radiation force impulse values were 0.977, 100, and 95%, respectively. There was no statistically significant difference between the apparent diffusion coefficient values of the cases in the three groups (p=0.132). Noninvasive methods are gaining importance day by day for staging hepatic fibrosis. Acoustic radiation force impulse elastography was evaluated as a more reliable examination than diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in revealing the presence of fibrosis, determining significant fibrosis, and diagnosing cirrhosis.

Spleen and Liver Stiffness Evaluation by ARFI Imaging: A Reliable Tool for a Short-Term Monitoring of Portal Hypertension?

Background Assessment of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG) is the most reliable, though invasive method for evaluation of portal hypertension. Non-invasive, elastography-based techniques are well established in diagnosis, but not in monitoring of portal hypertension. The aim of our prospective study was to determine the value of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography technique of the liver and spleen in diagnosis and monitoring of portal hypertension. Methods We prospectively assessed portal hypertension by HVPG and corresponding elastography of the liver and spleen in 31 patients with liver cirrhosis and an indication for primary prophylaxis by non-cardio selective beta-blockers. Investigations were performed at baseline and a follow-up visit after 6-8 weeks. To address the known large variability of values for spleen elastography, well-defined corresponding areas in the spleen were used for baseline and follow-up elastography. Sensitivity, specificity, and AUC-ROC values for both spleen and liver elastography monitoring of portal hypertension were calculated. Results Liver but not spleen elastography significantly correlated with HVPG results and was suitable for initial evaluation of portal hypertension. However, changes in HVPG results did not show any correlation with alterations of ARFI values from baseline to follow-up visits both for liver and spleen elastography. Spleen stiffness results were not homogeneous across the whole organ differing significantly between the upper, hilar, and bottom placed investigation areas. Conclusions In this prospective study ARFI-based assessment of liver elastography showed itself suitable for initial assessment but not for monitoring of portal hypertension. Spleen elastography was not appropriate for both, evaluation and monitoring of portal hypertension. A possible explanation for this new data that are in some contrast to previously published results is the degree of portal hypertension in our study, a comparatively short follow-up period, and well-defined investigation areas for spleen elastography in repetitive ARFI investigations. This trial is registered with NCT03315767.

The diagnostic value of the different ARFI (acoustic radiation force impulse)-technique for solid thyroid nodules with different diameters: A case–control study

This study aims to explore the diagnostic value of the acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) technique for solid thyroid nodules with different diameters. A total of 212 solid thyroid nodules with pathological results in 191 patients from March to December 2017 were retrospectively reviewed. These nodules were divided into two groups according to their diameter: 117 nodules were ≥1.0cm and 95 were <1.0cm. Before the operation, the nodules were evaluated using conventional ultrasound and different ARFI technique, including virtual touch tissue imaging (VTI), virtual touch tissue quantification (VTQ), and virtual touch tissue imaging and quantification (VTIQ). Further, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were drawn to analyze the diagnostic value of the ARFI technique for solid thyroid nodules with different diameters. For the three methods used in the diagnosis of solid thyroid cancer, VTI, VTQ, and VTIQ, the sensitivity, specificity, accuracy, and area under the ROC curve were 91.03%, 76.92%, 86.32%, and 0.840; 73.08%, 100%, 82.05%, and 0.865; and 91.03%, 100%, 94.02% and 0.955, respectively for nodules with a diameter ≥1.0cm, and 84.62%, 70.00%, 80.00%, and 0.773; 61.54%, 80.00%, 67.37%, and 0.708; 75.38%, 90.00%, 80.00%, and 0.827, respectively for nodules with a diameter <1.0cm. For nodules with a diameter ≥1.0cm, the diagnostic efficacy of VTIQ is higher than VTI and VTQ. For nodules with a diameter <1.0cm, the diagnostic efficacy of VTI and VTIQ are higher than VTQ.

Cirrhosis of Wilson's disease: High and low cutoff using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) -Comparison and combination with serum fibrosis index.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI), Fibrosis-4(FIB-4) and Aspartate transaminase to platelet ratio index (APRI) are valuable non-invasive methods to evaluate fibrosis in hepatitis virus. Yet, they are rarely used in Wilson's disease. Evaluate the diagnostic efficacy of ARFI, FIB-4, APRI, combined detection in cirrhosis with WD, and speculate the optimal high, low cutoff. This retrospective study was authorized by hospital ethics Committee (number:2021MCZQ02). 102 patients with WD completed ARFI and laboratory examination on the same day. The intraclass correlation coeffcient (ICC) of ARFI among three sonographers was 0.896 (95%CI:0.859-0.925, p = 0.000). The stage of liver involvement was classified into 5 categories according to clinical manifestations, laboratory examination, and liver morphologic characteristics: I, normal; II, biochemical abnormal only; III, abnormal liver morphologic features without sighs of cirrhosis; IV, clinical and imaging sighs of compensateded cirrhosis (Child-Pugh A); V, decompensated cirrhosis (Child-Pugh B and C). This stage system served as the reference standard. The diagnostic efficacy was analyzed by Logistic regression, ROC curve. The optimal low cut-off with high sensitivity (SE) and low negative likelihood ratio (NLR) and high cut-off with high specificity (SP) and positive likelihood ratio (PLR) were derived. The diagnostic value of ARFI (0.85, 95%CI:0.77-0.92, p = 0.000) in distiguishing cirrhosis with WD was higher than FIB-4 (0.59, 95%CI: 0.47-0.70, p = 0.127), APRI (0.70, 95%CI: 0.59-0.81, p = 0.000). The low, high cut-off of ARFI for excluding, diagnosing cirrhosis with WD was 1.47 m/s(SE: 98%, NLR:0.09), 2.11 m/s(SP:98%, PLR:27.4), 37 (36%) patients could be spared a liver biopsy. When ARFI was 1.47∼2.11 m/s, liver biopsy was recommended. After combined with ARFI, the AUROC of FIB-4, APRI were increased respectively (p < 0.001), there were not different between ARFI and combined detection(p > 0.05). ARFI could replace some unnecessary liver biopsy according to high diagnostic efficacy for identifying cirrhosis of WD. The combined detection can also be used as an important model to predict cirrhosis in WD.

406.6: Pancreatic Graft Ultrasound Elastography: A Novel Non-invasive Technique in Rejection Assessment

Introduction: Rejection is the second cause of pancreatic graft loss after technical complications. Conventional imaging techniques lack sensitivity and specificity to assess rejection. Elastography by Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) quantification is a non-invasive ultrasonographic technique that allows quantification of tissue elasticity. It has been proposed as a complementary tool to detect rejection in liver and kidney transplantation. Unfortunately, there is no data on pancreas transplantation. Methods: Prospective study including all pancreas transplantations in our center from October 2016 to January 2020. All allografts were evaluated by ARFI(m/s) at 1 week after surgery. Thereafter, an ARFI evaluation and a protocolized biopsy were performed at 3 weeks and 12 months post-transplantation, also whenever a graft dysfunction was suspected and 3 weeks after a proven rejection. Allografts with postoperative surgical complications were excluded from the analysis. Grafts were classified according to the biopsy result into two groups (rejection/no rejection). Those cases without biopsy or with an inconclusive biopsy result were classified according to the clinical approach. ARFI values were analyzed in each group and compared between them. Results: During this period, 124 ARFI evaluations and 78 biopsies were performed in 54 patients. Three patients were excluded because of postoperative complications (5 evaluations). A high dispersion in ARFI values was recorded in the first three months in both groups: non-rejection group (n=88, 1.52±0.68 m/s) and rejection group (n=31, 1.55±0.46 m/s), which was attributed to the influence of postoperative factors and therefore these ARFI values were excluded from the analysis. After the first 3 months, the median ARFI values in the non-rejection group decreased to 0.98±0.32 m/s (n=55), which is similar to values reported in the native pancreas, whereas in the rejection group they reached a value of 1.45±0.31 m/s (n=16). This difference was found out to be statistically significant (p-value 0.0001). A cut-off value of 1.24 cm/s demonstrated a sensitivity and a specificity of 0.94 and 0.73 respectively (AUC 0.83) for the diagnosis of rejection in grafts older than 3 months.Conclusion: Elastography of the pancreatic graft shows a high dispersion of the values during the first postoperative 3 months probably due to postsurgical factors, making them less reliable. After this period, ARFI may be a useful non-invasive complementary tool to detect pancreatic graft rejection, selecting patients that may benefit from an early biopsy or an early treatment.

Diagonistic Value of ARFI in Breast Lesions

Breast cancer became the most prominent cancer type in women worldwide. Its prevalence increased in recent years due to changes in life style and relapse among the patients seemed to be higher. Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging in based on the principle of the ultrasonic elasticity and the elestography accurately predict and measure the changes in breast cancer tissue compared to the normal tissue. It is a technical alternative to the palpation and able to measure lesser than 10 mm size. In contrast to biopsy, where the reduced deformability would occur and lead to biopsy failing. In fibroadenoma, due to its complications, many false positives could be detected and the ARFI elastography serve as an effective alternative method for breast cancer confirmation. The tissue stiffness index value is used to differentiate the benign and malignant tissue samples. ARFI further, use B- mode elasticity and help in recommending the biopsy confirmation.

Serum Mac-2 Binding Protein Glycosylation Isomer (M2BPGi) Can Predict Mild or Significant Liver Fibrosis in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Background: The serum levels of M2BPGi increase with liver fibrosis progression in patients with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) or hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection. However, the diagnostic performance of M2BPGi in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients remains unclear. Objectives: To assess the severity of liver fibrosis in NAFLD patients and healthy controls by M2BPGi using acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) as the standard reference. Methods: Those suffering from NAFLD and healthy controls were recruited. NAFLD diagnosis was confirmed using fatty liver in imaging after excluding HCV, HBV, alcohol, drug, or other known causes of chronic liver disease. ARFI was used as the standard reference to determine the stage of liver fibrosis. Results: A total of 226 subjects were recruited, including 130 (57.5%) NAFLD patients who were divided into three groups according to the stage of liver fibrosis: F0, F1, and F ≥ 2. The serum aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), AST to platelet ratio index (APRI), M2BPGi, and the fatty liver grade were significantly different between the three groups. The levels of M2BPGi were correlated with median ARFI value (P &lt; 0.001), APRI (P = 0.011), and fibrosis 4 index (FIB-4) (P &lt; 0.001). The area under the curve (AUC) of M2BPGi test was 0.58 for F ≥ 1 and 0.68 for F ≥ 2, respectively (P = 0.039 and P = 0.024). Conclusions: The M2BPGi levels were correlated with ARFI, APRI, and FIB-4 scores in this study population. The level of M2BPGi could predict mild (F ≥ 1) and significant liver fibrosis (F ≥ 2) in NAFLD patients, suggesting a surrogate marker to differentiate between normal, mild, and significant fibrosis.

Diagnostic value of FibroTouch, FibroScan, and acoustic radiation force impulse for liver fibrosis in patients with primary biliary cholangitis

Objective To investigate the diagnostic efficiency of FibroTouch, FibroScan, and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) for liver fibrosis in patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC). Methods A retrospective analysis was performed for the patients who underwent liver biopsy and were then diagnosed with PBC in Beijing Friendship Hospital, Capital Medical University, from September 2014 to October 2018, and the METAVIR scoring system was used to evaluate the degree of liver fibrosis and inflammation. Within 1 week after liver biopsy, FibroTouch, FibroScan, and ARFI were used to measure liver stiffness (LS); with pathological results as the gold standard, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was used to compare the value of FibroTouch, FibroScan, and ARFI in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in PBC patients, and related influencing factors were analyzed; Youden index was used to calculate the cut-off values of LS for different degrees of liver fibrosis. The Kruskal-Wallis H test was used for comparison between multiple groups, and P value corrected by the Bonferroni method was used for further comparison between two groups. A Spearman correlation analysis was performed, and a multiple linear regression model was used for multivariate analysis. Results A total of 68 patients with PBC were enrolled in the study, among whom 13 had F0 liver fibrosis, 15 had F1 liver fibrosis, 18 had F2 liver fibrosis, 12 had F3 liver fibrosis, and 10 had F4 liver fibrosis. LS obtained by FibroTouch (FT-LS), LS obtained by FibroScan (FS-LS), and LS obtained by ARFI (ARFI-LS) were strongly positively correlated with the degree of liver fibrosis (r=0.798, 0.782, and 0.742, all P 0.05). The multivariate analysis showed that degree of liver fibrosis (β=0.399, P Conclusion FibroTouch has similar efficiency to FibroScan and ARFI in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in PBC patients, with relatively high diagnostic efficiency for significant liver fibrosis (F≥2) and liver cirrhosis (F=4), and therefore, it can be used as a reliable method for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis in PBC patients.

Role of Ultrasound Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse in Differentiating Benign from Malignant Superficial Lymph Nodes.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging in differentiating benign from malignant peripheral lymphadenopathy.Materials and Methods:This was a prospective study approved by the Institutional Review Board with financial grant for the same. Ultrasound and ARFI imaging of peripheral lymph nodes were performed and correlated with pathological results, which were used as the reference standard. The virtual touch tissue imaging and virtual touch tissue quantification parameters of ARFI were analyzed in 86 lymph nodes, of which 78 were included in the study. Using receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, the diagnostic usefulness of ARFI values were evaluated with respect to their sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve.Results:The mean area ratio of benign lymph nodes was 0.88 (±0.2) and that of malignant lymph nodes was 1.17 (±0.14). The mean shear wave velocities (SWV) of benign and malignant lymph nodes were 2.02 m/s (±0.94) and 3.7 m/s (±2.27), respectively. The sensitivity and specificity of virtual touch imaging area ratio in differentiating benign from malignant lymph nodes was 97% and 77%, of SWV was 71% and 70%, and of SWV ratio was 68% and 79%, respectively.Conclusion:As ARFI was found to have a superior diagnostic performance over conventional ultrasound and color Doppler in the characterization of lymph nodes, we recommend its routine use in differentiating benign from malignant nodes.

Subgroup analysis of accreta, increta and percreta cases using acoustic radiation force impulse elastography.

To compare acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography values and histopathological diagnoses (accreta, increta, percreta) in patients suspected of having abnormal placental invasion (API). This prospective study included 54 patients in the third trimester with a history of caesarian section (CS) and API based on gray scale and Doppler ultrasonography (USG) and 35 healthy controls. Patients underwent ARFI elastography preoperatively. Elastography measurements of the fetal and maternal sides of the placenta were compared to histopathology. Patients had higher maternal-side, fetal-side and average elastography values (P = 0.001). Intraoperatively, eight patients (14.8%) showed abnormal cervical canal invasion and 46 (85.2%) bladder and/or parametrial invasion. Eight patients underwent CS + placental-bed suture, 11 CS + excision of the lower segment, and 35 caesarean-hysterectomy. Histopathology of lower segment excision/caesarian-hysterectomy patients determined 10 (21.7%) accreta, 10 (21.7%) increta and 26 (56.6%) percreta cases. ARFI values were highest in the percreta subgroup. The increta subgroup showed higher ARFI values than the accreta subgroup but maternal-side, fetal-side and average ARFI values were not significantly different across the subgroups (P > 0.05). The cut-off values for average, peripheral and central elastography were determined as >0.90, >0.76, >0.98 (m/s) with sensitivities of 98, 64, 98% and specificities of 85, 80, 91%, respectively. ARFI elastography can detect API. However, it cannot determine invasion depth reliably. More studies with subgroup analyses are warranted to reveal its usefulness for invasion depth.

Application of acoustic radiation force impulse elastography combined with serum markers in Child-Pugh grading

OBJECTIVES:Acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography, the aspartate aminotransferase-to-alanine aminotransferase ratio (AAR), aspartate aminotransferase-to-platelet ratio index (APRI), and the fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) index are widely used to assess liver fibrosis. However, efficacies of these methods in the evaluation of hepatic functional reserve remain unclear. In this study, we investigated the relationship between ARFI elastography combined with either AAR, APRI, or FIB-4 index and Child-Pugh (CP) class for the evaluation of hepatic functional reserve in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)-related cirrhosis.METHODS:The shear wave velocities of 104 patients with clinically confirmed CHB-related cirrhosis were determined using the ARFI; and clinical serum markers (e.g. ALT, AST, PLT) were used to calculate the AAR, APRI, and FIB-4 index. Cirrhosis patients were scored according to their CP class. The ARFI, AAR, APRI, and FIB-4 index were compared with the CP class. The efficacy of each indicator in diagnosis was analyzed using the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve and the ARFI combined with either the AAR, APRI, or FIB-4 index, which is used to predict decompensated cirrhosis.RESULTS:No significant differences were observed in gender and age among CP classes A, B, and C patients (p>0.05). The ARFI values and the AAR, APRI, and FIB-4 index of patients with CP classes A, B, and C were significantly different (p<0.05). With an increasing CP class, the ARFI, AAR, APRI, and FIB-4 values increased. The correlation between the ARFI and the CP class was stronger than that between the AAR, APRI, and FIB-4 index and the CP class. The area under the ROC curve for the diagnosis of decompensated cirrhosis using the ARFI was 0.841, which was higher than that for the AAR, APRI, and FIB-4 index. According to the area under the curve results, no significant differences were found when the ARFI was combined with either the AAR, APRI, or FIB-4 index and when the ARFI alone was used.CONCLUSIONS:The ARFI value has a strong correlation with the CP class. Therefore, ARFI elastography complements CP class in the assessment of the hepatic functional reserve in patients with CHB-related cirrhosis.

Assessment of liver fibrosis by acoustic radiation force impulse elastography in rheumatic disease patients on long-term methotrexate treatment

Background: Methotrexate treatment has been associated with liver fibrosis in patients with rheumatic disease. Liver biopsy has been the gold standard for staging liver fibrosis. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is a new accurate, non-invasive method for staging liver fibrosis. Till date, no study has been conducted to evaluate the diagnostic value of ARFI in patients with rheumatic disease undergoing methotrexate treatment.Study Objective: To assess the degree of liver fibrosis with non-invasive ARFI and to compare the findings with the biochemical parameters in rheumatic disease patients taking methotrexate for long duration.Study Method: We reviewed the medical records of rheumatoid arthritis patients who were administered methotrexate for more than 2 years. A total of 151 patients with rheumatic disease, aged ≥ 18 years were enrolled into the study. In addition, 24 healthy subjects (controls) were recruited to compare the ARFI values with that of patients with rheumatic disease. On the day of the ARFI examination, a series of biochemical parameters were also assessed in the patient group. Pre-defined cut-off ARFI values were used to assess the stage of liver disease.Results: The mean ARFI value in the patient group was 1.14. The mean ARFI values of different rheumatic disease patients were 1.13 (0.0), 1.26 (0.19), 1.16 (0.15), 0.945 (0.21) for Rhupus, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriatic arthritis and Sjogren's syndrome, respectively. Biochemical abnormalities (ALT/AST) were seen in 33 (21.85%) patients. Three patients had ARFI abnormalities (1: cirrhosis and 2: early stage fibrosis). There was no correlation between the ARFI values / biochemical parameters and the cumulative dose of methotrexate. However, the ARFI values correlated with the aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST to platelet ratio index. Liver fibrosis is rare in rheumatoid arthritis patients treated with a high cumulative dose of methotrexate, and is not accurately detected in patients with liver enzyme abnormalities.Conclusion: Considering the risk and benefit ratio of liver biopsy, ARFI may be a useful non- invasive diagnostic tool for the monitoring hepatic toxicity in patients with rheumatic disease undergoing methotrexate treatment.

Evaluation of acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastography as a tool for non invasive detection and grading of liver fibrosis with histopathology correlation

Background: Chronic insult caused by viral infection, autoimmune disease, alcohol and other toxins can damage the liver parenchyma and ultimately lead to liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) elastography is emerging as a valuable tool in the detection and grading of fibrosis in liver. Materials and Methods: It is a prospective comparative study performed in 36 patients between December 2016 and March 2018 who presented with deranged liver function test and referred for ultrasonography, ARFI elastography of liver followed by liver biopsy. The findings of Elastography were correlated with histopathology. Results: When compared with histopathology ARFI had a sensitivity of 82%, specificity of 85%, positive predictive value of 90% and negative predictive value of 75% in detecting liver fibrosis when we used optimum cut values of ARFI. Conclusion: ARFI elastography is a valuable tool in non-invasively detecting liver fibrosis and can be included as part of routine ultrasonic examination protocol of liver. ARFI technology allows the quantification of liver fibrosis and can be effectively used to stage fibrosis. Hence ARFI can be used as an alternative to liver biopsy and it might substitute liver biopsy in future.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse and Conventional Ultrasound in the Prediction of Cirrhosis Complicating Fatty Liver: Does Body Mass Index Independently Alter the Results?

We investigated whether ultrasound (US) could quantify steatosis and fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Estimates of fat by gray-scale, hepatorenal index (HRI) and fibrosis by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) were made using the interquartile range (IQR)/median for ARFI quality. Biopsy was the gold standard. US fat assessment correlated with histologic grade and predicted steatosis. HRI predicted steatosis but did not improve accuracy. ARFI of good quality was highly sensitive toward severe fibrosis. The median ARFI value depended linearly on body mass index (BMI). Poor quality ARFI data had higher histologic steatosis, leading to higher mean steatosis grades in rejected data (p = 0.018). The ARFI quality cut with IQR/median >0.15 or >0.3 excluded many more patients with severe steatosis versus normal, influenced by increasing BMI. By combining the baseline US with ARFI, patients can be concurrently diagnosed for steatosis and fibrosis, two of the key pathologies of NAFLD and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). However, severe steatosis and high BMI may falsely alter ARFI results.

The clinical usefulness of elastography in the evaluation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease patients: A biopsy-controlled study.

We aimed at determination of the usefulness of elastography [acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) and FibroScan] for evaluation of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) patients. A prospective cross-sectional study included 60 biopsy-proven NAFLD patients (mean age: 45 years) was carried out. All patients were subjected to lab works, liver biopsy, and measurement of liver stiffness by ARFI and FibroScan and steatosis by controlled attenuation parameter (CAP). CAP measurements were adjusted for the presence of NAFLD and presence or absence of diabetes and according to BMI. Linear regression analysis showed that CAP is an independent predictor for significant hepatic steatosis (P<0.001). No significant difference was found in diagnostic accuracy between adjusted and nonadjusted CAP values for diagnosis of mild (>S1) or significant (>S2) hepatic steatosis (P=0.17 and 0.29 respectively). The median ARFI velocities for F1, F2, F3, and F4 were 0.92, 1.08, 1.07, and 2.58 m/s, respectively. Although there was an overall significant increase in ARFI values across the fibrosis grades (P<0.04), the difference in ARFI values was only significant between fibrosis grades F1 and F4 (P=0.02). Elastography is a promising noninvasive tool for diagnosis and grading of hepatic steatosis and fibrosis in patients with NAFLD/nonalcoholic steatohepatitis with good sensitivity and specificity, especially in moderate to marked grades.

Liver stiffness measurement by acoustic radiation forced impulse and transient elastography in patients with intrahepatic cholestasis

Transient elastography (TE) and acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) imaging enable a noninvasive assessment of liver stiffness measurement (LSM) and liver fibrosis/cirrhosis staging. However, their use in cholestatic diseases is still scarce. The aim of this study was to evaluate the performance of TE and ARFI for the initial assessment of hepatic fibrosis in intrahepatic cholestatic (IHC) diseases and assess LSM changes after 3 months of specific therapy. This prospective study was carried out on 50 IHC patients. Assessment at baseline and after 3 months of LSM by TE and ARFI was performed. Overall, 60% of the patients were women (36.5±9.2 years). IHC etiologies were 23 (46%) autoimmune hepatitis, eight (16%) primary sclerosing cholangitis, eight (16%) drug induced, and five (10%) primary biliary cirrhosis. TE could diagnose ≥F2, ≥F3, and F4 stages at cutoffs of at least 6.7, 9.4, and 14.0 kPa, sensitivity/specificity were 100/50% for ≥F2, 88.2/83% for ≥F3, and 90/100% for F4. Moreover, the sensitivity and specificity of ARFI were 93/50% for ≥F2 (cutoff: 1.53 m/s); 71/67% for ≥F3 (cutoff 1.77 m/s); and 90/100% for F4 (cutoff: 2.43 m/s).Follow-up showed a significant decrease in TE and ARFI values by 27 and 22.3% (P<0.001 and <0.001, respectively) and, accordingly, fibrosis stages decreased significantly by both TE and ARFI (P=0.002 and <0.001, respectively). TE and ARFI represent noninvasive methods with adequate diagnostic performance for the assessment of fibrosis, and monitoring disease progression and treatment response in intrahepatic cholestasis.

Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) assessment of differential diagnosis of malignant and benign solid breast masses

Objectives To evaluate the performance of ARFI in diagnosis of solid breast tumors (BTs) by qualitative (the color-mapped pattern analysis) and quantitative (shear wave velocity measurement), then to propose the combination of ARFI and Bmode in differentiating malignant and benign breast lesions. Methods Bmode ultrasound (BUS) were performed on 162 female patients who have BTs and BUS images were classified according to the Breast Imaging-Reporting and Data System. ARFI elastography was performed using VTIQ (Siemens Acuson S2000), we evaluated the color-mapped patterns of the breast lesions and measured the shear wave velocity (at 5 points of the lesion, use the mean of SWV (m/s)). Determined diagnosis based on pathology results. Using Medcalc software to analyse and compare the ARFI mean value between the 2 groups of benign and malignant BTs. Results 162 female patients (mean age 41. 72, range 17-69 years old) who have breast tumors included 129 (79. 7%) benign lesions and 33 malignant (20. 3%). The ARFI value of breast tumor was 3. 03 (m/s), benign BT was 2. 7 (m/s) and malignant BT was 4. 81 (m/s). The ARFI cut-off value predicted malignancy was 3. 55 (m/s). Using ROC (cut-off value of 3. 55 (m/s)), the positive predictive value of 100% for malignant lesions showed a sensitivity of 90. 9% and a specificity of 93. 8%, AUC=0. 95. With t-test, there were significant statistically differences of ARFI value between 2 groups of malignant and benign breast tumors. 18 BTs were downgraded BIRADS after evaluated by VTIQ included 15 BTs BIRADS 4A->BI-RADS 3; 2 BTs BI-RADS 4B-> BI-RADS 4A, 1 BT BI-RADS 4C->BI-RADS 4B, all correlated with benign pathology results (100%). Conclusions The SWV of malignant BT increased with the cut-offvalue of 3. 55 (m/s) showed a sensitivity of 90. 9% and a specificity of 93. 8%. ARFI contributed to downgrade BI-RADS of BT, helped to select the appropriate biopsied position due to the colored-map, has utility in differentiating malignant and benign BT.

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

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. 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. 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). 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.