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Updated: Jul 23, 2025

Application of Ultrasound and Shear Wave Elastography Imaging in a Rat Model of NAFLD/NASH
Published on: April 20, 2021
The Role of Transabdominal Ultrasound Elastography in Gastrointestinal Non-Liver Diseases: Current Application and
Mattia Paratore1, Matteo Garcovich1, 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:
Ultrasound imaging is the first-line investigation for patients with abdominal symptoms, as it effectively depicts the gastrointestinal tract and enables the diagnosis of multiple pathological conditions. Among different recent ultrasound technological advancements, elastography enables the evaluation of various tissue characteristics, such as neoplastic transformation or fibroinflammatory status. In recent years, ultrasound elastography has been utilized extensively for the study of liver diseases and in numerous other clinical settings, including gastrointestinal diseases. Current guidelines suggest the use of transabdominal ultrasound elastography to characterize bowel wall lesions, to assess gastrointestinal contractility, to diagnose and grade chronic pancreatitis; however, no specific indications are provided. In the present paper, we summarize the evidence concerning the application of different ultrasound elastography modalities in gastrointestinal non-liver diseases.
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