Ultrasound elastography/elastometry and steatometry in liver transplantation

Background. Currently, liver transplantation remains the most effective method of treating mostly the advanced stages of chronic diffuse liver diseases. The success of liver transplantation depends, in particular, on the adequate choice of a donor liver, timely diagnosis of diffuse changes in the liver graft. In recent years, numerous reports have been published on the use of ultrasound elastometry/elastography and steatometry in the examination of patients with chronic diffuse liver diseases; and there are significantly fewer publications on the use of these methods in liver transplantation. Objective. To summarize current data on the use of ultrasound elastometry/elastography and steatometry at various stages of liver transplantation. Material and methods. The analysis of data from foreign and native studies on the use of various methods of ultrasound elastometry/elastography and steatometry in the pre- and postoperative periods during liver transplantation has been performed. The literature data was searched in international databases (PubMed/MedLine/ResearchGate) and in the scientific electronic library of Russia (eLIBRARY.RU) for the period from 2006–2024. Conclusion. The analyzed publications show the high informative value of ultrasound elastometry/elastography and steatometry in detecting fibrosis and steatosis in donor and transplanted livers, and capabilities of these methods in acute liver transplant rejection.