Assessment of the liver with two-dimensional shear wave elastography following COVID-19 infection: A pilot study.

Introduction/purpose: The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a widely spread viral infectious disease, which can impact multiple organs, including the liver. Elevated liver enzymes have been reported in COVID-19 patients; however, potential changes in liver stiffness following the viral infection remain uncertain. The main aim of this pilot study was to determine if there is a significant difference in liver stiffness between individuals who have never been infected with COVID-19 and those who had been infected with COVID-19 <6 months, experiencing only mild symptoms.

Use of shear wave elastography on the maternal cervix to recognise cervical insufficiency using a transabdominal ultrasound approach.

Introduction: The ramifications of preterm birth on society and the role of cervical length in identifying cervical insufficiency are well known. The main goal of this work was to apply shear wave elastography to the maternal cervix to assess the stiffness of the cervix and identify cervical insufficiency, using a transabdominal ultrasound approach.

Methods: Measurements of shear wave speed were obtained using a transabdominal ultrasound approach, at the anterior and posterior portions of the internal and external cervical os on 504 participants.

Shear Wave Elastography of the Maternal Cervix: A Comparison of Transvaginal and Transabdominal Ultrasound Approaches.

Objectives: This work aimed to compare the use of shear wave elastography on the maternal cervix with transvaginal (TV) and transabdominal (TA) ultrasound approaches to assess differences in shear wave speeds (SWSs) obtained for possible clinical use.

Methods: In both TV and TA ultrasound approaches, SWS measurements were attempted at the anterior and posterior portions of the internal and external cervical os on 38 gravid participants.

Results: A larger number of SWS measurements were obtained at the anterior portion of the cervix by both approaches.

Reliability Indicators for 2-Dimensional Shear Wave Elastography.

Ultrasound (US) shear wave technology providers have either point shear wave elastography (SWE) or 2-dimensional SWE available on their US systems. With 2-dimensional SWE, larger regions of interest can be interrogated, with both the main acoustic radiation pulses and the resultant shear waves potentially being affected by US artifacts. Some providers assist the operator with elastographic maps indicating the reliability or precision of the shear wave propagation.

Shear wave elastography of the maternal cervix: A transabdominal technique.

Introduction: Reduced cervical length as seen on transvaginal ultrasound is a strong indicator of spontaneous preterm birth in the high-risk population. In low-risk women the appropriate method to assess this risk is still debatable. Ultrasound elastography has been used to assess cervical strength.

Shear Wave Elastography on the Uterine Cervix: Technical Development for the Transvaginal Approach.

Objectives: This research aimed to identify biological and technical confounders in the nonpregnant cervix when applying shear wave elastography with an endovaginal transducer.

Methods: Cervical speed measurements were obtained at the internal and external os in the anterior and posterior portions of the cervix using a transvaginal approach in 69 nongravid patients.

Results: Reliable measurements were obtained at the external os and internal os, anteriorly and posteriorly, in 63, 55, 55, and 26 patients, respectively.

A comparison of ultrasonic measurement techniques for the maternal cervix in the second trimester.

The appropriate ultrasound technique to assess the maternal cervical length in women at low risk of preterm birth is yet to be established. This study aimed to determine the accuracy of different ultrasound approaches for measuring the maternal cervix in patients between 17 and 22 weeks gestation. The prospective study recruited 50 patients who were at a low risk of preterm birth.

Cervical length for predicting preterm birth and a comparison of ultrasonic measurement techniques.

: Preterm birth is the leading cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality not attributable to congenital anomalies or aneuploidy. It has been shown that a shortened cervix is a powerful indicator of preterm births in women with singleton and twin gestations - the shorter the cervical length, the higher the risk of spontaneous preterm birth. Ultrasound measurements of the cervix are a more accurate way of determining cervical length (CL) than using a digital method.