Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41356758›Full record

ArticleWorld journal of radiology2025

Shear wave elastography in healthy patients: Pancreatic stiffness is less reliable than liver and spleen measurements.

Nicholas Viceconti, Mattia Paratore, Fabio Del Zompo, Maria Assunta Zocco, Maria Elena Ainora, Giorgio Esposto, Antonio Gasbarrini, Maurizio Pompili, Laura Riccardi, Matteo Garcovich

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in World journal of radiology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors.

Nicholas VicecontiDiagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Mattia ParatoreDiagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy. mattia.paratore@guest.policlinicogemelli.it.
Fabio Del ZompoInternal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Maria Assunta ZoccoInternal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Maria Elena AinoraInternal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Giorgio EspostoInternal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Antonio GasbarriniInternal Medicine and Gastroenterology Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Maurizio PompiliTranslational Medicine and Surgery Department, Catholic University of the Sacred Heart, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Laura RiccardiDiagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.
Matteo GarcovichDiagnostic and Interventional Ultrasound Unit, CEMAD Digestive Disease Center, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli IRCCS, Rome 00168, Italy.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundShear wave elastography (SWE) is a non-invasive ultrasound-based technique used to assess tissue stiffness, which reflects underlying pathological changes. While SWE has been widely applied for liver fibrosis evaluation, its application to other abdominal organs, such as the spleen and pancreas, is gaining interest. However, normal stiffness values and inter-system agreement remain poorly defined.

aimTo assess the feasibility and agreement of liver, spleen, and pancreas stiffness using three SWE methods.

methodsThis single-center observational study enrolled 50 healthy adult volunteers. Liver, spleen, and pancreas stiffness were assessed using three SWE methods: Point-SWE (p-QElaXto) and 2-Dimensional-SWE (2D-QElaXto) with Esaote MyLab 9, and 2D-SWE with SuperSonic Imagine. Feasibility, inter-operator reproducibility, and concordance among systems were evaluated. Stiffness was expressed as median kPa values, and technical reliability was assessed using the interquartile range/median ratio and stability index thresholds.

resultsLiver and spleen stiffness assessment was feasible in > 98% of patients, while pancreas stiffness was measurable in 84%-88% depending on the SWE technique. Mean liver stiffness ranged between 3.9-4.7 kPa across techniques, spleen stiffness ranged from 19.4-23.0 kPa, and pancreas stiffness from 5.2-7.6 kPa. Inter-operator agreement was excellent for liver (intraclass correlation coefficient > 0.90) and good to moderate for spleen and pancreas (intraclass correlation coefficient from 0.43 to 0.90). Bland-Altman analysis confirmed good correlation but also systematic differences among devices, especially in pancreas measurements.

conclusionThis is the first study to establish normal liver, spleen, and pancreas stiffness using MyLab 9 SWE integrated methods as compared to SuperSonic Imagine, with acceptable inter-technique agreement. Liver and spleen values matched existing guidelines; pancreas SWE showed more variability and reduced reproducibility.

Indexed as

ElastographyHealthy patientsLiverPancreasShear wave elastographySpleenStiffnessUltrasound

Identifiers

PMID41356758
PMCPMC12679087

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY-NC
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.