The Journal of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg.
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J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. · Mar 2016
Hepatic stiffness in the bidirectional cavopulmonary circulation: The Liver Adult-Pediatric-Congenital-Heart-Disease Dysfunction Study group.
We hypothesized that hepatic injury in single-ventricle CHD has origins that predate the Fontan operation. We aimed to measure hepatic stiffness using ultrasound and shear wave elastography (SWE) in a bidirectional cavopulmonary connection (BCPC) cohort. ⋯ Hepatic stiffness is increased with BCPC physiology, and this finding raises concerns that hepatopathology in palliated, single-ventricle CHD is not exclusively attributable to Fontan physiology. Hepatic stiffness measurements using SWE are feasible in this young population, and the technique shows promise as a means for monitoring disease progression.