Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 38, Issue 2 , Pages 175-182, February 2012

Shear Wave Dispersion Measures Liver Steatosis

  • Christopher T. Barry

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • ,
  • Bradley Mills

      Affiliations

    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • ,
  • Zaegyoo Hah

      Affiliations

    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • ,
  • Robert A. Mooney

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • ,
  • Charlotte K. Ryan

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • ,
  • Deborah J. Rubens

      Affiliations

    • School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • ,
  • Kevin J. Parker

      Affiliations

    • Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY, USA
    • Corresponding Author InformationAddress correspondence to: Kevin J. Parker, University of Rochester, Hopeman Building 203, P.O. Box 270126, Rochester, NY 14627-0126, USA.

Received 28 June 2011; received in revised form 18 October 2011; accepted 21 October 2011. published online 19 December 2011.

Abstract 

Crawling waves, which are interfering shear wave patterns, can be generated in liver tissue over a range of frequencies. Some important biomechanical properties of the liver can be determined by imaging the crawling waves using Doppler techniques and analyzing the patterns. We report that the dispersion of shear wave velocity and attenuation, that is, the frequency dependence of these parameters, are strongly correlated with the degree of steatosis in a mouse liver model, ex vivo. The results demonstrate the possibility of assessing liver steatosis using noninvasive imaging methods that are compatible with color Doppler scanners and, furthermore, suggest that liver steatosis can be separated from fibrosis by assessing the dispersion or frequency dependence of shear wave propagations.

Key Words: Shear wave, Crawling wave, Steatosis, Elastography, Liver fibrosis, Dispersion, Attenuation, Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis

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PII: S0301-5629(11)01426-8

doi:10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2011.10.019

Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology
Volume 38, Issue 2 , Pages 175-182, February 2012

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