Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 25, 2025

Author Spotlight: Advancing Hepatic Fibrosis Diagnosis Using Magnetic Resonance Elastography and AI
Published on: July 21, 2023
Shear Wave Dispersion in Chronic Liver Disease: From Physical Principles to Clinical Usefulness
Matteo Garcovich1, Mattia Paratore1, Maria Elena Ainora1
1Medicina Interna e Gastroenterologia, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Largo A. Gemelli 8, 00168 Rome, Italy.
Abstract:
The development of new applications in ultrasound (US) imaging in recent years has strengthened the role of this imaging technique in the management of different pathologies, particularly in the setting of liver disease. Improved B-mode imaging (3D and 4D), contrast-enhanced US (CEUS) and especially US-based elastography techniques have created the concept of multiparametric ultrasound (MP-US), a term borrowed from radiological sectional imaging. Among the new elastography techniques, shear wave dispersion is a newly developed imaging technology which enables the assessment of the shear waves' dispersion slope. The analysis of the dispersion qualities of shear waves might be indirectly related to the tissue viscosity, thus providing biomechanical information concerning the pathologic state of the liver such as necroinflammation. Some of the most recent US devices have been embedded with software that evaluate the dispersion of shear waves/liver viscosity. In this review, the feasibility and the clinical applications of liver viscosity are reviewed based on the preliminary findings of both animal and human studies.
Related Concept Videos
Ultrasound II: Endoscopic Ultrasound and FibroScan
Endoscopic Ultrasound (EUS):
Diseases of the Liver and Gallbladder
Cirrhosis is characterized by the scarring of hepatic lobules in the liver, which are replaced by fibrous tissue, affecting the liver's normal functioning. NAFLD, on the other hand, is caused by an excessive build-up of fat in the liver, not...
Physiological Pharmacokinetic Models: Incorporating Hepatic Transporter-Mediated Clearance
A recent model describes pravastatin's hepatobiliary excretion,...
Liver Physiology
Metabolic Regulation:
The liver is the central organ involved in regulating blood composition. It stabilizes blood glucose levels, maintaining them within the range of 70–110 mg/dL. When these levels drop, the liver breaks down glycogen reserves and releases glucose into the bloodstream. It can...
Hepatic Drug Clearance: Effect of Protein Binding
For low-extraction-ratio drugs that are less than 80% protein-bound, minor changes in protein binding...
Hepatic Drug Clearance: Role of Transporters

