Ultrasound in the Detection of Chronic Liver Disease
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.58987/rmmgg229Keywords:
Ultrasound; Chronic Liver Disease, Cirrhosis, Diagnostic AccuracyAbstract
Ultrasound imaging is a widely used, noninvasive diagnostic tool for liver diseases, offering real-time visualization of liver tissue structure and abnormalities. However, accurately characterizing liver conditions based on ultrasound images remains challenging due to variations in image quality and interpretation. This study proposes a system for analyzing and categorizing normal, fatty and heterogeneous liver conditions using textural analysis of ultrasound images, optimizing the selection of regions of interest (ROI) to improve diagnostic accuracy. The study aimed to determine the prevalence of liver diseases diagnosed via ultrasound between 2017 and 2024, categorizing cases based on age and sex. Data were collected from the Tobruk Liver Disease Center and included 59 patients diagnosed with liver disease: 26 males (44.07%) and 33 females (55.93%). The study focused on four primary liver diseases: fatty liver, cirrhosis, hepatitis C virus (HCV), and liver cancer. Cases not diagnosed via ultrasound were excluded. Diagnosis was performed using high-resolution ultrasound devices to assess liver tissue characteristics, size, the extent of steatosis or fibrosis, and the presence of abnormal masses. However, this study did not incorporate advanced imaging techniques such as Doppler ultrasound, histogram analysis, B-mode (Brightness Mode), M-mode (Motion Mode), elastography or harmonic imaging, which could have enhanced measurement precision. The results revealed that cirrhosis was the most prevalent condition (61.02%), followed by fatty liver (18.64%), viral hepatitis (5.08%), liver cancer (6.78%) and hepatomegaly (15.25%). Additional associated conditions included kidney stones (5.08%), splenomegaly (23.73%) and gallstones (6.78%). Notably, six cases (10.17%) were classified as normal. The most affected age group was between 50 and 70 years, though cases were also observed in children aged 1–10 years. The study highlights a significant increase in liver disease cases over the analyzed period, emphasizing the need for improved screening and early detection strategies to enhance patient outcomes.
References
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:
1. Retention of Rights: Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC 4.0).
2. User Rights: This license allows others to remix, tweak, and build upon the work non-commercially, and although their new works must also acknowledge the original author and be non-commercial, they do not have to license their derivative works on the same terms.
3. Restrictions: The material cannot be used for commercial purposes without prior written permission from the author or the journal.
4. Additional Agreements: Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g., post it to an institutional repository), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.
