Lead Investigator Shannon
First Name
Lead Investigator G.
Middle Initial
Lead Investigator Farmakis
Last Name
Lead Investigator M.D.
Degree
Institution
St. Louis University School of Medicine
Current
Department of Radiology
Institution
Department
Rank or Position
Medical Director of Pediatric Radiology and Assistant Professor of Radiology and
Pediatrics
Address
3635 Vista Ave. at Grand Blvd.
St. Louis, MO 63110
United States
Phone Number
(314) 268-5782
Fax
(314) 268-5116
Training Dates
Diagnostic Radiology Residency 7/2009-6/2013
Pediatric Radiology Fellowship 7/2013-6/2014
Email
farmakis@slu.edu
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Letter
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based on an
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or any other
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the past two
years?
Project Title
Shear wave sonoelastography for the noninvasive evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in the
pediatric population
Abstract of Proposed Research Plan (300 words)
Background: Pediatric liver disease continues to remain a major focus of research. This has taken on
greater relevance with the rise in pediatric obesity which, in addition to several other well-characterized
liver diseases, causes liver fibrosis. The degree of fibrosis is generally well-accepted as both a
measurement of disease severity and a prognostic indicator. Unfortunately, the current gold standard to
assess fibrosis remains a liver biopsy, which, in addition to anesthesia risks and sampling errors, can
result in profound hemorrhage, infections, and even mortality. Thus, there is a great need for reliable,
non-invasive biomarkers of hepatic fibrosis. Sonoelastography has emerged as a method of evaluating
liver disease.
Hypothesis: We hypothesize that shear wave sonoelastography (SWE) measurements will correlate with the
histopathologic assessment of liver fibrosis in pediatric patients.
Specific Aims: To perform SWE on pediatric patients with known liver disease who undergo a liver biopsy
within one month of the ultrasound exam in order to determine the accuracy of SWE in evaluating the
various stages of liver fibrosis using the Ishak and METAVIR histopathologic scale. As a control, we will
perform SWE on patients without liver disease to establish baseline measurements in a normal liver.
Potential Impact: We believe that SWE may represent an accurate, reliable, and noninvasive method of
staging liver fibrosis in pediatric patients and may obviate the need for performing liver biopsies in
evaluating liver disease. Our study has the potential to accelerate the adoption of this less invasive
approach into wide practice within the next 2-3 years. This is because liver ultrasound is already well
established in pediatrics, the equipment is present in many centers, and the benefit to avoiding liver
biopsy is well recognized.
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bibliography
Resources and
The study will take place in the Pediatric Imaging Department at SSM Cardinal Glennon
Environment:
Children’s Medical Center in St. Louis, MO. The exams will be performed in the
ultrasound examination rooms using our two GE Logiq E9 ultrasound machines which
are equipped with the elastography software. We currently have 3 ultrasound exam
rooms.
Major
We have 2 GE Logiq E9 ultrasound machines with the capability of performing shear
Equipment:
wave sonoelastography.
Fiscal
Office of Sponsored Programs Administration at St. Louis University
Agent/Institution
Award Payee
Joseph
First Name
Award Payee Last Sanning
Name
Award Payee
CPA
Title
Checks payable
Joseph Sanning, CPA
to:
Award Payee
Address
Fusz Memorial Hall, Room 368 3700 West Pine Mall
St. Louis, MO 63108-3306
United States
Award Payee
(314) 977-2380
Phone Number
Award Payee
grants@slu.edu
Email
Grant
Marsha
Administrator's
First Name
Grant
Bennet
Administrator's
Last Name
Grant
Director, Department of Radiology
Administrator's
Title
Grant
Radiology
Administrator's
Department
Grant
Administrator's
3635 Vista Avenue
Address
St. Louis, MO 63110
United States
Grant
(314) 577-8223
Administrator's
Phone Number
Grant
Administrator's
Email
bennetm@slu.edu
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2
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Curriculum Vitae
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