ZEYNEP ESKALEN, NURAY HALİLOĞLU
Ankara Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi Mecmuası - 2024;77(1):34-38
Objectives: To investigate clinical significance of liver and spleen stiffness in patients with chronic parenchymal liver disease. Materials and Methods: Fifty patients with chronic parenchymal liver disease who underwent 2D ultrasound (US) shear wave elastography (SWE) in the Ultrasonography Unit of Ankara University Medical Faculty Hospital between November 2018-June 2021 were enrolled in our prospective study. Liver size, contour, echogenicity, presence of portosystemic collateralls, and ascites were investigated on B-mode examination. Portal vein diameter was measured. Splenic volume was calculated. Liver and spleen stiffness values were measured by 2D SWE. Serum platelet count was noted. Child- Pugh score was calculated for all patients. Results: Thirty-four patients were grouped as Child-Pugh A, 15 patients were grouped as Child-Pugh B, 1 patient was grouped as Child-Pugh C. Platelet count was between 51-360x109/L. The most common conventional US finding was parenchymal heterogeneity. All patients had splenomegaly, the mean portal vein diameter was 12.58 mm, 34 patients had hepatopedal flow. Portosystemic collateralls were detected in 15 patients. Liver and spleen stiffness values were between 4.12 kPa-16.29 kPa, and 9.20 kPa-29.19 kPa, respectively. There was a positive correlation between liver and spleen stiffness (p=0.002). The relationship between splenic volume and spleen/liver stiffness was statistically significant (p=0.0004, p=0.008, respectively). Both liver and spleen stiffness was correlated with Child-Pugh score (p=0.02, p=0.00003, respectively). There was no statistically significant correlation between portal vein diameter and liver/spleen stiffness, and between platelet count and liver stiffness (p>0.05). The correlation between platelet count and spleen stiffness was statistically significant (p=0.002). Conclusion: SWE can provide information about the clinical status of the patients. Measuring spleen stiffness is as important as measuring liver stiffness.
