Optimization of measurements with an ultrasound attenuation coefficient algorithm for quantifying liver fat.

Objectives: Methods for measuring the ultrasound attenuation coefficient (AC) vary across different systems. Some have fixed regions of interest (ROI) while others have movable ROIs. Aims were to evaluate whether, using a system with a fixed ROI, correlation between AC and MRI proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF), and performance could be improved by (i) reducing fixed ROI length to 30 mm, changing starting point from the transducer, and (ii) using a movable ROI at different depths.

Multinational Attitudes Toward AI in Health Care and Diagnostics Among Hospital Patients.

Importance: The successful implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) in health care depends on its acceptance by key stakeholders, particularly patients, who are the primary beneficiaries of AI-driven outcomes.

Objectives: To survey hospital patients to investigate their trust, concerns, and preferences toward the use of AI in health care and diagnostics and to assess the sociodemographic factors associated with patient attitudes.

Design, Setting, And Participants: This cross-sectional study developed and implemented an anonymous quantitative survey between February 1 and November 1, 2023, using a nonprobability sample at 74 hospitals in 43 countries.

Contrast-Enhanced Ultrasound for Hepatocellular Carcinoma Diagnosis- Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Despite growing clinical use of contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS), inconsistency remains in the modality's role in clinical pathways for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) diagnosis and management. This AJR Expert Panel Narrative Review provides practical insights on the use of CEUS for the diagnosis of HCC across populations, including individuals at high risk for HCC, individuals with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease, and remaining individuals not at high risk for HCC. Considerations addressed with respect to high-risk patients include CEUS diagnostic criteria for HCC, use of CEUS for differentiating HCC from non-HCC malignancy, use of CEUS for small (≤2 cm) lesions, use of CEUS for characterizing occult lesions on B-mode ultrasound, and use of CEUS for indeterminate lesions on CT or MRI.

Attenuation Coefficient for Hepatic Steatosis Using a Single Ultrasound System: Associations of Measurement Parameters With Interoperator Agreement and Diagnostic Performance.

. Clinical adoption of ultrasound attenuation coefficient (AC) measurements has been hindered by lack of a uniform measurement protocol and a range of factors that may cause variability. .

Advances in imaging-Elastography.

Chronic liver disease affects over a billion people worldwide. Liver fibrosis is the key driver of liver-related complications and mortality. Elastography has been a transformative tool in hepatology, allowing for the diagnosis and staging of liver fibrosis noninvasively, and is evolving beyond these purposes into a prognostication tool.

Intersystem and Interoperator Agreement of US Attenuation Coefficient for Quantifying Liver Steatosis.

Background The extent of liver steatosis can be assessed using US attenuation coefficient (AC) algorithms currently implemented in several US systems. However, little is known about intersystem and interoperator variability in measurements. Purpose To assess intersystem and interoperator agreement in US AC measurements for fat quantification in individuals with varying degrees of liver steatosis and to assess the correlation of each manufacturer's AC algorithm results with MRI proton density fat fraction (PDFF).

Assessing Quality of Ultrasound Attenuation Coefficient Results for Liver Fat Quantification.

Background/objectives: Algorithms for quantifying liver fat content based on the ultrasound attenuation coefficient (AC) are currently available; however, little is known about whether their accuracy increases by applying quality criteria such as the interquartile range-to-median ratio (IQR/M) or whether the median or average AC value should be used.

Methods: AC measurements were performed with the Aplio i800 ultrasound system using the attenuation imaging (ATI) algorithm (Canon Medical Systems, Otawara, Tochigi, Japan). Magnetic resonance imaging proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF) was the reference standard.

Ultrasound evaluation of chronic liver disease.

Chronic liver disease is a world-wide epidemic. Any etiology that causes inflammation in the liver will lead to chronic liver disease. Presently, the most common inciting factor worldwide is steatotic liver disease.

US Markers and Necroinflammation, Steatosis, and Fibrosis in Metabolic Dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease: The iLEAD Study.

Background Attenuation coefficient (AC) and shear-wave speed (SWS) are established US markers for assessing patients with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD), while shear-wave dispersion slope (DS) is not. Purpose To assess the relationship between the multiparametric US imaging markers DS, AC, and SWS and liver histopathologic necroinflammation in patients with MASLD. Materials and Methods This international multicenter prospective study enrolled consecutive patients with biopsy-proven MASLD between June 2019 and March 2023.

The urgent need to extend the appropriate use of ultrasound in Africa and worldwide. Overview, experiences and perspectives.

It is known that in African countries the health condition is problematic, both from a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view. Patients have to travel long distances to access medical care. Many cannot afford the cost of transportation to a medical facility.

WFUMB Guidelines/Guidance on Liver Multiparametric Ultrasound. Part 2: Guidance on Liver Fat Quantification.

The World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology (WFUMB) has promoted the development of this document on multiparametric ultrasound. Part 2 is a guidance on the use of the available tools for the quantification of liver fat content with ultrasound. These are attenuation coefficient, backscatter coefficient, and speed of sound.

Does Meal or Water Intake Affect Ultrasound Attenuation Coefficient Estimate?

Objectives: To assess whether meal or water intake may affect the measurement of the ultrasound (US) attenuation coefficient (AC) imaging, a parameter that is directly related to liver fat content.

Methods: The study was performed in two centers (Italy and USA). AC was obtained using the ATI algorithm implemented in the Aplio i-series US systems (Canon Medical Systems, Japan) by one operator at each center.

MR and Ultrasound Elastography for Fibrosis Assessment in Children: Practical Implementation and Supporting Evidence- Expert Panel Narrative Review.

Quantitative MRI and ultrasound biomarkers of liver fibrosis have become important tools in the diagnosis and clinical management of children with chronic liver disease (CLD). In particular, MR elastography is now routinely performed in clinical practice to evaluate the liver for fibrosis. Ultrasound shear-wave elastography has also become widely performed for this purpose, especially in young children.

Two-dimensional shear wave elastography (ElastQ) accurately rules out liver fibrosis and rules in advanced chronic liver disease across liver disease etiologies: a prospective multicenter study.

Purpose: This study evaluated ElastQ, a two-dimensional shear wave elastography (2D-SWE) technique, for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis risk using liver stiffness measurement (LSM). The aim was to determine its diagnostic accuracy and establish LSM cutoffs for clinical risk stratification.

Methods: A prospective multicenter study was conducted, employing vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE) as a reference standard.

Toward acquisition protocol standardization for estimating liver fat content using ultrasound attenuation coefficient imaging.

Purpose: This study's primary aim was to assess factors affecting ultrasound attenuation coefficient (AC) measurement repeatability using the Canon ultrasound (US) system. The secondary aim was to evaluate whether similar results were obtained with other vendors' AC algorithms.

Methods: This prospective study was performed at two centers from February to November 2022.