Definition of examination standards for spleen elastography in liver disease

Purpose: Spleen elastography is a promising method for characterization of portal hypertension and associated complications in patients with liver cirrhosis. Recent data published in high impact journals suggests that spleen stiffness may be used as a screening test for the presence of esophageal varices. However, standardized examination procedures for spleen stiffness measurement have not been defined yet. We assessed the influence of the respiratory position on spleen stiffness measured by shear-wave velocity (ARFI). We further analyzed the distribution characteristics of spleen shear-wave velocity. Materials…