Evaluation of ulcerative colitis activity using transabdominal ultrasound shear wave elastography
Kenta Yamada, Takuya Ishikawa, Hiroki Kawashima, Eizaburo Ohno, Tadashi Iida, Eri Ishikawa, Yasuyuki Mizutani, Tsunaki Sawada, Keiko Maeda, Takeshi Yamamura, Naomi Kakushima, Kazuhiro Furukawa, Masanao Nakamura, Masatoshi Ishigami, Mitsuhiro Fujishiro
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Transabdominal ultrasound (US) has been reported to be effective in the evaluation of ulcerative colitis (UC). US can measure shear wave elastography (SWE) and shear wave dispersion (SWD), which may be correlated with inflammation and necrosis. We aimed to investigate the relationship between UC activity and SWE and SWD. METHODS: Patients with UC who underwent US within 2 days before or after a colonoscopy between April 2019 and March 2020 were included. SWE and SWD were measured in the sigmoid colon; the correlations of SWE and SWD with the Lichtiger index and the Ulcerative Colitis Endoscopic Index of Severity (UCEIS) were investigated. We also compared SWE and SWD between patients with mucosal healing and those in the active phase according to the UCEIS. RESULTS: 11.9 (IQR, 11.1-13.2) (m/s)/kHz, P=0.918]. CONCLUSIONS: SWE may be useful for the evaluation of UC activity and could be a noninvasive method of assessing disease severity.