Fellowship for P. Goyal in Support of Assessment of Chronic Liver Disease and Liver Fibrosis: Comparison of MR Elastography and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Imaging

Project: Research project

Project Details

Description

In the United States, the prevalence of chronic liver disease has risen due to a silent epidemic of HCV infection in the 1960s to 1980s and the obesity epidemic in the U.S. population. Progressive liver fibrosis with the development of cirrhosis is a common feature of chronic liver disease. Liver biopsy is still considered the reference standard for the diagnosis and staging of fibrosis. However, this method is invasive and thus not readily done by patients. Recent studies demonstrate the potential of non-invasive techniques, specifically magnetic resonance elastography (MRE), and acoustic radiation force impulse imaging (ARFI), in the staging and diagnosis of liver fibrosis. In order for these alternative diagnostic methods to reduce the need of liver biopsy, the diagnostic accuracy and reproducibility of MRE and ARFI need to be assessed. In this investigation, we will be examining the MRE, ARFI, and liver biopsies of chronic liver disease patients. Each patient will receive two series of MRE and ARFI measurements. The results will then be compared to the gold standard liver biopsy to determine the relative accuracy and reproducibility of each diagnostic technique. Sensitivity, specificity, positive (PPV) and negative (NPV) predicative values, positive (PLR) and negative (NLR) likelihood ratio will determine the diagnostic performance of MRE and ARFI. We expect to see a strong correlation between MRE- and ARFI-based liver stiffness measurements and severity of liver fibrosis. If the MRE- and ARFI- based liver stiffness measurements are comparable to that of liver biopsies, these non-invasive techniques may be used in place of liver biopsy in the future.
StatusFinished
Effective start/end date6/2/138/10/13

Funding

  • RSNA Research and Education Foundation (RMS1316)

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