Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) imaging is a new diagnostic modality capable of measuring the tissue elasticity using acoustic radiation force. The usefulness of ARFI imaging for assessment of liver fibrosis was studied in 164 chronic hepatitis and liver cirrhosis patients who were diagnosed by liver biopsy. Significant differences were found between F2 and F3, and F3 and F4. The diagnostic value expressed as the area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.925 for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis and non-cirrhotic liver. The results suggest ARFI imaging is a promising noninvasive tool for assessing the liver fibrosis.
