2D-Shear-wave Elastographie zur Evaluation der Lebersteifigkeit bei systemischer Sklerodermie und primärer biliärer Cholangitis

by Viktor Korendovych née Korendovych
Doctoral thesis
Date of Examination:2025-06-02
Date of issue:2025-05-26
Advisor:Dr. Peter Korsten
Referee:Prof. Dr. Ahmad Amanzada
Referee:PD Dr. Golo Petzold
Persistent Address: http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-11251

 

 

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Abstract

English

2D Shear-wave elastography (2D-SWE) is a simple, proven, and inexpensive method for determining the liver stiffness (LS). In the present study, we examined the LS using 2D-SWE in patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and overlap of systemic sclerosis and primary biliary cholangitis (SSc-PBC), and compared the results with patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) and healthy subjects. In summary, patients with SSc without PBC have normal LS, which corresponds to the values of a healthy cohort. Our results demonstrate that SSc-PBC is more common in anti-centromere antibody-positive limited cutaneous SSc and is associated with increased LS. PBC appears to be the leading cause of increased LS in SSc patients. Due to the small number of patients in our study, further studies should be performed to confirm our results. Although 2D-SWE may be used as a simple non-invasive screening tool to determine LS in cases of suspected liver involvement in SSc, additional studies combining 2D-SWE, magnetic resonance imaging, and liver biopsy with histological examination may be helpful to clarify the etiology of elevated LS in some SSc patients without confirmed PBC. Considering antibody-negative PBC or other forms of liver involvement in SSc, liver biopsy could be considered in selected SSc patients with elevated LS, especially if the diagnostic criteria for PBC are not met without histological confirmation.
Keywords: Systemic sclerosis; primary biliary cholangitis; liver stiffness; 2D-shear wave elastography; overlap
Schlagwörter: Systemische Sklerodermie; primäre biliäre Cholangitis; Lebersteifigkeit; 2D-Shear-wave Elastographie; Overlap