Magnetic resonance elastography and morphological alteration of the hepatic parenchyma

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-6108.2025.1.48061

Keywords:

Elastography, Liver, Hepatic fibrosis.

Abstract

Background and Aim: Magnetic resonance elastography has been shown to be an effective non-invasive method for detecting liver fibrosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between demographic and clinical data, liver stiffness and morphological alteration of the hepatic parenchyma and the predictive factors associated with the morphological alteration of the hepatic parenchyma.

Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. Data from the electronic medical records of these patients were evaluated. Magnetic resonance elastography was performed at 1.5 Tesla (T) by using a gradient-recalled-echo pulse sequence and analyzed by two blind independent readers. Generalized linear model analysis, adjusted by age, was performed to assess the potential predictive factors of morphological alteration of the hepatic parenchyma.

Results: One hundred twenty-three subjects were retrospectively evaluated, with mean age of 52.8±12.7 years, and there was a predominance of males, 73 (59.3%). The mean liver stiffness value was 2.9 kPa (95% CI 2.7 – 3.1). The Cohen's kappa coefficient showed an excellent agreement of 0.931 (95% CI 0.95–0.97) for measured liver stiffness values between readers R1 and R2. Subjects with hepatic morphological alteration showed a mean liver stiffness significantly higher (4.10 ± 1.45 kPa) compared to those without morphological alteration of the hepatic parenchyma (2.48 ± 0.53 kPa, p < 0.001).

Conclusions: Our results found a significant relationship between morphology of the hepatic parenchyma and alcoholism, hepatic comorbidities and liver stiffness. In addition, we observed alcoholism, hepatitis C, and cirrhosis as independent factors associated with morphological alterations of the hepatic parenchyma.

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Author Biographies

João Paulo Leal Schambeck, Postgraduate Program in Medicine and Health Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul

Mestre em Medicina pela Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, onde atua como Médico Radiologista

Gabriele Carra Forte, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

She holds a PhD in Pneumological Sciences from the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul and a Post-doctoral degree in Pediatrics and Child Health and Medicine and Health Sciences from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), where she currently works as a medical student.

João Bruno Fachinetto Kotlinski, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Graduated in Medicine from the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Guilherme Stuker, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Currently practicing radiology at Hospital São Lucas - PUCRS, focusing on emergency radiology and abdominal radiology.

Pedro Simões dos Santos Pilau , Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Medical student at the Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Cristina Carra Forte, Moinhos de Vento Hospital, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Clinical nutritionist at the Oncology Outpatient Clinic of the Moinhos de Vento Hospital in Porto Alegre.

Angela de Figueiredo Pinto Agostini, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Radiologist at Hospital São Lucas of PUCRS

Luis Carlos Anflor Junior, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Radiologist and preceptor of the radiology medical residency program at Santa Casa de Misericórdia de Porto Alegre, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, and Hospital São Lucas of PUC-RS/Inscer.

Fernando Ferreira Gazzoni , Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Radiologist at Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Hospital São Lucas of PUCRS, and InsCer-PUCRS.

Rubens Gabriel Feijó Andrade, Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS), Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.

Radiologist, professor, and preceptor of medical residency at Hospital São Lucas of PUCRS and the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul.

Bruno Hochhegger, Department of Radiology, University of Florida, Florida, United States.

He is currently a Researcher at the DOR Institute and a Clinical Professor of Radiology at the University of Florida. He is also a collaborating professor of Diagnostic Imaging at the Pontifical Catholic University of Porto Alegre.

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Published

2025-12-22

How to Cite

Leal Schambeck, J. P., Carra Forte, G., Fachinetto Kotlinski, J. B., Stuker, G., Simões dos Santos Pilau , P., Carra Forte, C., … Hochhegger, B. (2025). Magnetic resonance elastography and morphological alteration of the hepatic parenchyma. Scientia Medica, 35(1), e48061. https://doi.org/10.15448/1980-6108.2025.1.48061

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Vol. 35 No. 1 (2025): Single Volume

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Original Articles

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Copyright (c) 2025 João Paulo Leal Schambeck, Gabriele Carra Forte, João Bruno Fachinetto Kotlinski, Guilherme Stuker, Pedro Simões dos Santos Pilau , Cristina Carra Forte, Angela de Figueiredo Pinto Agostini, Luis Carlos Anflor Junior, Fernando Ferreira Gazzoni , Rubens Gabriel Feijó Andrade, Bruno Hochhegger

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