Aixplorer multiwave ultrasound system

Reliable liver stiffness measurements (LSM) (in kPa) were performed in 110 of the 136 total patients by 2-dimension shear wave elastography of the liver. LSM were operated using the Aixplorer ® MultiWave TM ultrasound system (Supersonic Imagine S.A., Aix-en-Provence, France) with the single crystal curved probe at frequencies 1-6 MHz. The examination was considered to be reliable if at least 5 valid measurements were obtained based on good sonographic signal, combined with <25% ratio of SD to the mean LSM (mean value of all valid measurements per examination). Patients were categorized based on the LSM results, as reviewed by Abevanoli et al. (Abenavoli and Beaugrand 2012) into those with LSM ≥7 and LSM <7 kPa.

Reliable liver stiffness measurements (LSM) (in kPa) were performed in all patients both at baseline and at 6 months by twodimensional shear-wave elastography of the liver by the same clinician. LSM were operated using the Aixplorer ® MultiWave TM ultrasound system (SuperSonic Imagine S.A.) with the single crystal curved probe at frequencies of 1-6 MHz. The examination was considered to be reliable if at least five valid measurements were obtained based on good sonographic signal, combined with <25 % ratio of SD:mean LSM (mean value of all valid measurements per examination). Patients were categorised on the basis of their LSM results, as reviewed by Abenavoli et al. (32) , into those with LSM >6•6 and LSM ≤6•6 kPa, suggesting the presence or not of significant fibrosis, respectively.