Quantitative Assessment of Liver Tissue Stiffness in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Using Point and Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography

Evaluation of P-SWE and 2D-SWE in Diagnosing NAFLD

Abstract

Purpose: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition. Non-invasive imaging techniques are being developed to replace biopsies. In liver steatosis, tissue stiffness decreases, making stiffness assessment crucial for early diagnosis. This study evaluated the ability of two elastography methods—point shear wave (P-SWE) and two-dimensional shear wave (2D-SWE)—to differentiate healthy from fatty liver tissue.

Materials and Methods: Twenty-seven individuals (9 men and 18 women, aged 20-50) without liver disease were examined. Liver stiffness was measured using both P-SWE and 2D-SWE in 15 healthy individuals and 12 with fatty liver. Statistical analysis was conducted using an independent t-test (p<0.05).

Results: The mean and standard deviation of liver stiffness (Young modulus) were 4.33±1.01 kPa for fatty liver and 3.55±0.90 kPa for healthy liver using P-SWE (18% increase, p<0.05). For 2D-SWE, stiffness was 5.03±1.44 kPa in fatty liver and 4.57±1.10 kPa in healthy tissue, with no significant difference (p>0.05). The P-SWE method showed a sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 80% for diagnosing grade I hepatic steatosis.

Conclusion: The P-SWE technique is effective in differentiating fatty liver tissue stiffness from healthy liver, more so than the 2D-SWE method.