Impact of respiratory motion on liver stiffness measurements according to different shear wave elastography techniques and region of interest methods: a phantom study

• Published in: Ultrasonography (Seoul, Korea) 2021, 40(1), , pp.103-114
• Main Authors: Lee, Jee Hyeon, Lee, Sang Min, Yoon, Jeong Hee, Kim, Min-Jeong, Ha, Hong Il, Park, Sung-Joon, Kim, Eun Soo, Lee, Kwanseop, Lee, Jeong Min
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: breath holding; elasticity imaging techniques; Liver; Liver cirrhosis; motion; Original; phantom, imaging; region of interest; Ultrasonic imaging; 방사선과학
• ISSN: 2288-5919; 2288-5943
• DOI: 10.14366/usg.19079

This study quantified the impact of respiratory motion on liver stiffness measurements according to different shear wave elastography (SWE) techniques and region of interest (ROI) methods, using liver fibrosis phantoms. Three operators measured stiffness values in four phantoms with different stiffness on a moving platform with two SWE techniques (point-SWE [pSWE] and 2-dimensional SWE [2D-SWE]), three types of motion (static mode and moving mode at low and high speeds), and four ROI methods in 2D-SWE (circle, point, box, and multiple). The circular ROI method was used to compare the two SWE techniques. The occurrence of technical failure and unreliable measurements, stiffness values, and measurement time were evaluated. Technical failure was observed only in moving mode for pSWE and 2D-SWE (n=1 for both). Unreliable measurements were also only observed in moving mode and were significantly less common in 2D-SWE (n=1) than in pSWE (n=12) (P