RESUMEN
AIM: To compare ARFI-based elastography procedures of the GE LOGIQ E9, Philips EPIQ7, and Toshiba Aplio 500 (versions 5.0 and 6.0) ultrasound scanners with the Siemens Acuson S3000 reference scanner in subjects with healthy livers, taking various impact factors into account. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study consisted of two subsequent study parts. Study 1 (nâ=â205) evaluated the 2D-SWE techniques of GE and Toshiba 5.0 and the pSWE technique of the Philips scanner against the reference scanner Siemens. Study 2 (nâ=â113) evaluated Toshiba 6.0 against Siemens in a different cohort. Out of 433 study participants in both studies, 318 (M:Fâ=â122:196) met the inclusion criteria. Elastography measurements were performed in the right lobe of the liver at depths of 3, 5 and 7âcm. At each depth, five measurements were acquired with the Siemens and Philips scanners and one measurement each with the GE and Toshiba machines. RESULTS: The Philips (râ=â0.58, pâ<â0.0001) and the GE (râ=â0.63, pâ<â0.0001) scanners showed the strongest correlation of shear wave velocities between Siemens and comparator scanners, at a depth of 5âcm. We found the strongest relationship with Toshiba (software version 6.0) at a depth of 3âcm (râ=â0.57, pâ<â0.0001). Toshiba software version 5.0 did not give satisfactory results. The factors of sex and BMI showed scanner-specific differences in the values measured (pâ<â0.05). The age of the subjects did not seem to have any effect. CONCLUSION: With the exception of Toshiba software version 5.0, all of the scanners we tested can be recommended without reservation for comparative ultrasound elastography of the healthy liver at measurement depths of 3âcm up to 5âcm.