Liver Stiffness Measurements by Means of Supersonic Shear Imaging in Patients Without Known Liver Pathology

We used supersonic shear imaging to determine the liver stiffness (LS) values of 82 patients without known liver pathology and studied the factors that influence these measurements. Five LS measurements were made in each subject, and the median value, expressed in kilopascals, was calculated. Reliable LS measurements were obtained in 84.5% of patients. Higher body mass index and older age were associated with failure to obtain reliable measurements. The mean value of LS measurements determined by SSI in our cohort of patients without known liver pathology was 6 ± 1.4 kPa. The mean LS measurements determined by SSI for men were significantly higher than those for women; body mass index did not significantly influence SSI measurements. Thus, 6 kPa is the mean SSI value in patients without known liver pathology, with higher values being obtained in men.