Vnitr Lek 2019, 65(9):539-545 | DOI: 10.36290/vnl.2019.094

Noninvasive diagnostics of liver diseases - imaging methods

Karel Dvořák

Oddělení gastroenterologie a hepatologie Krajské nemocnice Liberec, a.s.

Introduction and spread of elastographical methods have changed clinical practice in hepatology substantially. Elastography is becoming more available and the field of non-invasive diagnostics of liver diseases keeps growing dynamically. New technologies and applications are being developed allowing non-invasive staging of liver diseases to much broader extent. Ultrasound based methods like transient elastography (TE) and shear wave elastography (SWE) are dominating the field of liver elastography. Both methods are able to distinguish advanced liver fibrosis/cirrhosis with high accuracy and in patients with all most common chronic liver diseases. A technically well performed examination and its interpretation in a clinical context are prerequisites for a valid diagnosis. TE also enables assessment of presence/severity of portal hypertension in patients with compensated chronic advanced liver disease. There are new methods under development and validation like an ultrasound-based liver fat content quantification, assessment of portal hypertension using elastography of the spleen or the use of elastography in the diagnostics of focal liver lesions.

Keywords: elastography; liver cirrhosis; liver diseases; non-invasive diagnostics; portal hypertension; ultrasound

Received: November 1, 2018; Accepted: April 17, 2019; Published: September 1, 2019  Show citation