Spleen Stiffness Measurement using Two Dimensional Shear-Wave Elastography:

Abstract

Objectives: To investigate the success rate of spleen stiffness (SS) measurement and factors that affect measurement success, and to determine the SS value of normal individuals by 2-dimensional shear-wave elastography (SWE).

Methods: The spleen and liver stiffness of 313 consecutive patients were measured using SWE. Three of the patients were excluded because the spleen was not visible at all on ultrasonography. Therefore, 310 patients were evaluated. The body mass index (BMI), abdominal wall thickness, spleen size and liver stiffness (LS) of the patients were evaluated to identify factors associated with successful measurement of SS. Patients were grouped by BMI, spleen size and LS, and the success rates and mean SS values of the groups were compared. Independent predictors for successful SS measurement and their cut-off values were evaluated. The mean SS values ​​of patients considered normal were investigated.

Results: The overall success rate of SS measurement was 52.9 %. It was significantly higher in non-obese than in obese patients and in patients with splenomegaly and liver cirrhosis. The SS value was higher in the splenomegaly group than the non-splenomegaly groups (P < 0.001) and increased as LS increased (P < 0.001). There was no significant difference in SS value between the obese and non-obese group. Abdominal wall thickness and splenic longitudinal diameter were identified as independent predictors of successful SS measurement, and their cut-off values were < 17.2 mm and > 9.4 cm, respectively. The mean SS value of the normal patient group was 20.5 ± 5.4 kPa.

Conclusions: The success rate of SS measurement is lower than that of LS measurement. The measurement of SS is affected by abdominal wall thickness and spleen size. The SS values, which ​​measured taking into account the influencing factors and normal values, ​​may be helpful in evaluation and management of chronic liver disease with portal hypertension.