Considerations of Ultrasound Scanning Approaches in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Assessment through Acoustic Structure Quantification

Ying-Hsiu Lin; Yung-Liang Wan; Dar-In Tai; Jeng-Hwei Tseng; Chiao-Yin Wang; Yu-Wei Tsai; Yi-Ru Lin; Tu-Yung Chang; Po-Hsiang Tsui

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.04.018

Considerations of Ultrasound Scanning Approaches in Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Assessment through Acoustic Structure Quantification

Ultrasound Med Biol. 2019 Aug;45(8):1955-1969. doi: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.04.018. Epub 2019 May 23.

Authors

Ying-Hsiu Lin¹, Yung-Liang Wan², Dar-In Tai³, Jeng-Hwei Tseng⁴, Chiao-Yin Wang⁵, Yu-Wei Tsai¹, Yi-Ru Lin⁶, Tu-Yung Chang⁷, Po-Hsiang Tsui⁸

Affiliations

¹ Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
² Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
³ Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁴ Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁵ Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Graduate Institute of Clinical Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan.
⁶ Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, National Taiwan University of Science and Technology, Taipei, Taiwan.
⁷ Department of Public Health, College of Public Health, China Medical University, Taichung, Taiwan.
⁸ Department of Medical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, College of Medicine, Chang Gung University, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Institute for Radiological Research, Chang Gung University and Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan; Department of Medical Imaging and Intervention, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital at Linkou, Taoyuan, Taiwan. Electronic address: tsuiph@mail.cgu.edu.tw.

PMID: 31130411
DOI: 10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2019.04.018

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a risk factor for hepatic fibrosis and cirrhosis. Acoustic structure quantification (ASQ), based on statistical analysis of ultrasound echoes, is an emerging technique for hepatic steatosis diagnosis. A standardized measurement protocol for ASQ analysis was suggested previously; however, an optimal ultrasound scanning approach has not been concluded thus far. In this study, the suitability of scanning approaches for the ASQ-based evaluation of hepatic steatosis was investigated. Hepatic fat fractions (HFFs; liver segments VIII, III and VI) of 70 living liver donors were assessed with magnetic resonance spectroscopy. A clinical ultrasound machine equipped with a 3-MHz convex transducer was used to scan each participant using the intercostal, epigastric and subcostal planes to acquire raw data for estimating two ASQ parameters (C_m² and focal disturbance [FD] ratio) of segments VIII, III and VI, respectively. The parameters were plotted as functions of the HFF for calculating the values of the correlation coefficient (r) and probability value (p). The diagnostic performance of the parameters in discriminating between the normal and steatotic (≥5 and ≥10%) groups was also compared using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves. The C_m² and FD ratio values measured using the epigastric and subcostal planes did not correlate with the severity of hepatic steatosis. However, intercostal imaging exhibited a higher correlation between the ASQ parameters and HFF (r = -0.64, p < 0.001). The diagnostic performance of C_m² and FD ratio in detecting hepatic steatosis using intercostal imaging was also satisfactory (areas under ROC curves >0.8). Intercostal imaging is an appropriate scanning approach for ASQ analysis of the liver.

Keywords: Acoustic structure quantification; Amplitude envelope analysis; Fatty liver; Hepatic steatosis; Quantitative diagnosis; Ultrasound.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Adolescent
Adult
Female
Humans
Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
Liver / diagnostic imaging
Male
Middle Aged
Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / diagnostic imaging*
Prospective Studies
Reproducibility of Results
Ultrasonography / methods*
Young Adult