Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to explore the quantitative evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in patients with schistosomiasis by acoustic palpation tissue imaging of ultrasound elastography. Methods A total of 110 patients with hepatic schistosomiasis and 110 healthy volunteers were recruited in our hospital between January 2019 and January 2021, and all patients underwent liver biopsies. The shear wave velocities (SWV) of right anterior lobe, right posterior lobe and left lateral lobe of livers were detected by quantitative acoustic palpation tissue imaging of ultrasound elastography in all individuals. The diagnostic value of SWV in predicting significant liver fibrosis (>=S2) was evaluated by ROC analysis. Results The SWVs of right anterior lobe, right posterior lobe and left lateral lobe of livers in patients with hepatic schistosomiasis were (1.4±0.4), (1.4±0.5) and (1.5±0.5), all significantly higher than [(1.1±0.2), (1.2±0.3) and (1.1±0.3), respectively,P＜0.05] in healthy volunteers; the SWVs of right anterior lobe, right posterior lobe and left lateral lobe of livers in 13 patients with S4 liver fibrosis staging were (1.9±0.5), (1.9±0.5) and (2.1±0.6), all significantly higher than [(1.6±0.4), (1.7±0.3) and (1.8±0.4), respectively, P<0.05] in 27 patients with S3 or [(1.4±0.4), (1.5±0.2) and (1.6±0.3), respectively, P<0.05] in 33 patients with S2 or [(1.2±0.3), (1.3±0.2) and (1.4±0.2), respectively, P<0.05] in 37 patients with S1; the ROC analysis showed that the area under ROC of SWV_{right anterior lobe}, SWV _{right posterior lobe} and SWV _{left lateral lobe} in diagnosing significant liver fibrosis were 0.837, 0.733 and 0.807 when the optimal cut-off-values were set at 1.250, 1.350 and 1.350, with the sensitivities of 0.673, 0.545 and 0.636, and the specificities of 0.909, 0.945 and 0.818. Conclusion The detection of SWV by acoustic palpation tissue imaging quantification of ultrasound in patients with hepatic schistosomiasis could help predicting significant liver fibrosis, and warrants further clinical investigation.

Key words: Hepatic schistosomiasis, Liver fibrosis, Ultrasound acoustic palpation tissue imaging quantification, Shear wave velocity, Diagnosis