We are pleased to offer ultrasound Liver Shear Wave Elastography (SWE) examinations at our Heritage Valley Beaver Hospital location. Shear Wave Elastography has become a key non-invasive tool for the evaluation of liver disease, particularly in patients with chronic conditions such as hepatitis or fatty liver disease. Integrating SWE can improve patient care by allowing safer and more frequent assessments of liver health.
The ultrasound technique used in SWE measures the “stiffness” of the liver and is useful in the diagnosis, staging, and management of liver fibrosis. Liver tissue elasticity is measured by tracking the speed of shear waves generated by ultrasound, and is measured in kilopascals (kPa) and meters/second (m/s). Low stiffness is associated with normal or mild fibrosis, while a diagnosis of high stiffness can indicate advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver.
Liver Shear Wave Elastography is useful for:
- Fibrosis staging: Helps to classify liver fibrosis from mild to cirrhosis (without biopsy)
- Chronic liver disease monitoring: Tracks progression or regression over time
- Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Evaluates the risk of advanced fibrosis
- Viral Hepatitis (B and C): Assesses liver damage and aids with treatment response
- Cirrhosis complications: Elevated liver stiffness can correlate with portal hypertension risk (increased pressure in the vein system feeding the liver)
Some of the advantages of Shear Wave Elastography over liver biopsy are that SWE is completely non-invasive; can sample a larger portion of the liver; is repeatable for follow-up assessments; and comes with a lower risk and cost compared to biopsy.
If you have a history of liver issues, please discuss the potential benefits of Liver Shear Wave Elastography with your physician.