[en] Aim: To evaluate the association between liver stiffness measured by acoustic radiation force impulse (ARFI) elastometry and the outcome of antiviral treatment in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B and C. Materials and methods: Thirty-eight patients with chronic viral hepatitis B (n = 16) or hepatitis C (n = 22) underwent liver biopsy and ARFI elastometry of the right hepatic lobe. A follow-up assessment using ARFI was performed a mean of 2.3 years after the baseline evaluation. The patients with favourable outcome were classified in group S and those receiving no treatment, showing no response to treatment, or experiencing a relapse were classified in group N. Results: The 38 patients had an initial mean ARFI value of 1.56 ± 0.62 m/s as compared with 1.54 ± 0.64 m/s in the follow-up evaluation. Group S showed a significant decline in ARFI values (1.55 ± 0.60 m/s versus 1.34 ± 0.47 m/s; p < 0.05) and included 16 (64%) patients with lower shear wave velocities at follow-up. In group N, liver stiffness values showed a slight but not significant increase (1.57 ± 0.70 m/s versus 1.93 ± 0.77 m/s). Conclusion: Changes in liver stiffness during antiviral therapy can be assessed by ARFI reflecting response or no response. ARFI elastometry is an additional, useful tool for the follow-up assessment of treatment outcome in patients with chronic viral hepatitis B or C infection

[en] Purpose: Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) is a new method for the quantification of tissue elasticity. To date, ARFI technology has not been applied systematically to establish an abdominal and thyroid status. The aim of this prospective feasibility study was to evaluate ARFI elastometry performed on various healthy abdominal organs and the thyroid gland. Material and methods: 94 patients (43 females, 51 males) with a mean age of 54 years and 20 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. A routine ultrasound examination of the abdomen was scheduled in 72, and of the thyroid in 25. ARFI elastometry was performed in liver, spleen, pancreas, prostate, kidneys and thyroid gland with the ultrasound system Acuson S2000. ARFI values are proportional to tissue elasticity. Patients with ultrasonic or anamnestic evidence of diseased organs were excluded from the analysis. ARFI measurements were compared with the aid of the t-test and correlated using Spearman's correlation coefficient. Results: ARFI elastometry proved feasible and the measurements obtained in the various organs differed significantly. Among healthy organs the spleen showed the highest mean ARFI velocities, followed by the kidney, thyroid, pancreas and the prostate. The lowest ARFI values were regularly found in healthy liver. Measurements in the kidneys and the spleen showed high standard deviation. Conclusions: ARFI elastometry may describe parenchymal stiffness of various abdominal organs and the thyroid gland. Further investigations are needed to compare these baseline findings in healthy organs with those of various tumours or diseases affecting the individual organs.