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© 2002 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine
J Ultrasound Med 21:783-788 • 0278-4297

Technical Advance

A New Method for Attenuation Coefficient Measurement in the Liver

Comparison With the Spectral Shift Central Frequency Method

Yasutomo Fujii, MD, Nobuyuki Taniguchi, MD, PhD, Kouichi Itoh, MD, PhD, Kouichiro Shigeta, MD, Yi Wang, MD, PhD, Jing-Wen Tsao, PhD, Kenji Kumasaki and Takashi Itoh, PhD

Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Tochigi, Japan (Y.F., N.T., K.I., K.S.); and Aloka Co, Ltd, Tokyo, Japan (J.-W.T., K.K., T.I.).

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Yasutomo Fujii, MD, Department of Clinical Laboratory Medicine, Jichi Medical School, Minami Kawachi-machi, Kawachi-gun, Tochigi 329-0498, Japan.

Objective. To assess the feasibility of a new method of measuring the attenuation coefficient in the liver, which offers less variability of results than the conventional method. Methods. The attenuation coefficient was evaluated on the basis of the following equation with sound field correction:



In our system, the attenuation coefficient was also evaluated by the spectral shift central frequency method at the same time. We used 44 cases of normal liver, 40 cases of fatty liver, and 20 cases of cirrhotic liver in the system. Results. With this new method, attenuation coefficient values were 0.59 ± 0.10 dB • cm-1 • MHz-1 in normal livers, 0.80 ± 0.12 dB • cm-1 • MHz-1 in fatty livers, and 0.62 ± 0.09 dB • cm-1 • MHz-1 in cirrhotic livers. In both methods we recorded a statistically significant difference between normal and fatty livers and between fatty and cirrhotic livers (P < .0001). Only in the fatty liver was any significant difference (P < .0001) found between attenuation coefficients in the new method and those in the spectral shift central frequency method (0.70 ± 0.05 dB • cm-1 • MHz-1). Conclusions. This new method, which was more sensitive in detecting fatty infiltration than the spectral shift central frequency method, was considered usable for evaluating the attenuation coefficient of the liver in vivo.

Key Words: attenuation coefficient • cirrhotic liver • fatty liver • tissue characterization • ultrasonography

Abbreviations: RF, radio frequency • RMI, Radiation Measurements, Inc • ROI, region of interest • SS method, spectral shift central frequency method




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Copyright © 2002 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.