Utility of Hepatic 2D Shear-Wave Elastography in Monitoring Response to Image-Guided Intervention in Children With Chronic Budd-Chiari Syndrome: A Prospective Study

BACKGROUND. Image-guided interventions for Budd-Chiari syndrome (BCS) reduce hepatic congestion, thereby reducing liver stiffness. Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) by means of ultrasound may provide a noninvasive marker for assessing treatment response. OBJECTIVE. The purpose of this study was to assess, with attention to changes in LSMs in patients with disease recurrence, the utility of 2D shear-wave elastography (SWE) for monitoring response to image-guided intervention in children with BCS. METHODS. This prospective study included children with chronic BCS and planned image-guided intervention. Color Doppler ultrasound (CDUS) and 2D SWE were performed at baseline; 24 hours, 1 month, and 3 months after intervention; and every 3 months thereafter or when recurrence was clinically suspected. Eighteen children underwent liver biopsy at intervention for fibrosis staging according to the Metavir criteria. Disease recurrence was diagnosed with CDUS. Statistical evaluation was performed by means of nonparametric tests. RESULTS. A total of 32 children (28 boys, four girls; mean age, 9 years; range, 3-14 years) were included. The median LSM at baseline was 43.7 (interquartile range [IQR], 33.0-65.4) kPa, at 24 hours was 22.5 (IQR, 16.8-32.0) kPa, at 1 month was 18.7 (IQR, 14.2-32.0) kPa, and at 3 months was 16.7 (IQR, 11.5-22.5) kPa (p = .001 for all postintervention time points vs baseline). Nine (28.1%) patients had a recurrence at a mean of 4 months after intervention. In one patient with recurrence, LSM was higher at 24 hours (52.3 kPa) than at baseline (44.2 kPa). In the other eight patients with recurrence, LSM was increased at recurrence compared with the prior postintervention LSM (median absolute increase, 11.0 [IQR, 6.1-24.4] kPa). Fibrosis stage was not significantly correlated with baseline LSM (r = 0.11 [95% CI, -0.37 to 0.54];p = .51) or LSM 24 hours after intervention (r = 0.39 [95% CI, -0.11, 0.73]; p = .11). CONCLUSION. LSMs decreased significantly after image-guided intervention for chronic BCS in children, exhibiting a maximal decrease 24 hours after intervention. Disease recurrence was typically associated with an increase in LSM compared with the patient's prior measurement. CLINICAL IMPACT. LSM obtained with 2D SWE may serve as a useful quantitative adjunct to CDUS in monitoring children with chronic BCS for disease recurrence after percutaneous interventional treatment.