Acoustic intensity histogram pattern diagnosis of liver diseases.

Display information on the histogram pattern includes echo intensity and echo frequency in the region of interest (ROI). The level and frequency of the center of gravity and the width of the echo level at 0%, 10%, and 50% of normalized frequency are calculated from the histogram. The width of the echo from the liver is significantly elongated on the X axis (P less than 0.001) but that of the center of gravity is not. Fatty liver shows the same attenuation rate curve as normal liver, although echo intensity is greatly increased. The curve of the attenuation rate derived from the histogram can be used to distinguish between liver cirrhosis and the tissue of normal or fatty liver. This study clearly demonstrates the clinical usefulness of the histogram as a diagnostic tool.