Abstract #2080

MR Elastography: Spleen Stiffness Measurements in Healthy Volunteers.

Lorenzo Mannelli¹, Ilse Joubert¹, Martin Graves¹, Andrew Patterson¹, Richard Black², David J. Lomas¹

¹Radiology, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK; ²Medical Physics, Addenbrooke's Hospital and University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

Splenic stiffness has been proposed as a potential new marker of portal hypertension. This requires that a normal range can be established. MR Elastography of the spleen using two different driver locations was performed in 16 healthy volunteers and correlated with age, body mass index, spleen volume, blood pressure and liver stiffness. There were no significant correlations observed but the results varied slightly by driver location: right anterior 3.6 0.59 kPa; left anterior 4.3 0.63 kPa. The overall results suggest that using a consistent technique splenic MRE warrants further investigation as a non-invasive marker of portal hypertension.