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Updated: May 10, 2025
Application of Ultrasound and Shear Wave Elastography Imaging in a Rat Model of NAFLD/NASH
Published on: April 20, 2021
Application of Two-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography in Evaluating Liver Reserve Function in Patients With Liver
Bijuan Hu1, Zhiping Huang1, Liyin Huang1
1Ultrasound Department, Ganzhou People's Hospital, Ganzhou, Jiangxi, China.
Background:
Shear wave elastography (SWE) is an emerging noninvasive imaging technique for assessing liver fibrosis. This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of SWE compared to conventional imaging techniques.
Methods:
A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and Web of Science databases. Nine studies were included, and diagnostic performance metrics, including sensitivity, specificity, diagnostic odds ratio (DOR), and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), were pooled using meta-analysis. Publication bias was assessed using Deeks' funnel plot asymmetry test.
Results:
The pooled sensitivity and specificity of SWE were 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83-0.92) and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.83-0.91), respectively. The positive likelihood ratio (PLR) was 7.07 (95% CI: 5.26-9.50), and the negative likelihood ratio (NLR) was 0.14 (95% CI: 0.09-0.20). The DOR was 51.85 (95% CI: 29.80-90.19), and the area under the SROC curve (AUC) was 0.94 (95% CI: 0.91-0.96), indicating excellent diagnostic accuracy. Fagan nomogram analysis further confirmed SWE's clinical utility by significantly improving post-test probability. No significant publication bias was detected (p = 0.26).
Conclusion:
SWE is a highly accurate and reliable tool for diagnosing liver fibrosis, demonstrating superior diagnostic performance compared to conventional imaging techniques. SWE has significant potential to serve as a noninvasive alternative to liver biopsy in the clinical assessment of liver fibrosis.
