Ultrasound Pulse Elastometry: Assessment of One Year’s Practice in the Hepato-Gastroenterology Department of the Saint Camille Hospital in Ouagadougou

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Résumé

To review one year of ultrasound impulse elastometry in a hospital in Ouagadougou. Patients and Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study of data from one year’s use of impulse ultrasound elastometry. Ultrasound impulse elastometry was performed using the FibroScan® COMPACT 530. Fibrosis was considered significant when E (hepatic elasticity) ≥ 7.2 kPa (F2 fibrosis). The test was considered valid when the IQR/Median ratio ≤ 30% and there were at least 10 valid measurements. Results: A total of 1911 patients underwent FibroScan®. There were 1079 men, giving a sex ratio of 1.3. The mean age of the patients was 37.9 ± 12.2 years. The indication for FibroScan® was hepatitis B virus infection in 89% of cases. The validation criteria for FibroScan® were met in all patients. The mean value for elasticity was 7.9 kPa and for steatosis 212 dB/m. Fibrosis was non-significant in 75.5% of cases. More than half of our patients (56.7%) didn’t have steatosis, 24.8% had mild steatosis, 12.4% had moderate steatosis and 6.1% had severe steatosis. Conclusion: Ultrasound pulse elastometry plays an important role in monitoring chronic liver disease. It allows non-invasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis. In our context, however, access to the test is limited by its availability only in large urban centers, and by its cost.

Mots-clés

Pulse Elastometry, Hepatic Fibrosis, Steatosis, Non-Invasive Evaluation of Fibrosis, Africa