The gold standard for evaluating liver diseases is liver biopsy. However, with the development of Fibroscan technology, measurements are now being made using ultrasound waves instead of biopsy in many liver diseases, allowing for a much larger area of the liver to be evaluated. Gastroenterology Specialist Prof. Dr. Melih Özel answered questions about Fibroscan, a non-invasive method.
The end-stage of chronic liver diseases to be avoided is liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis occurs as a result of a process called "fibrosis," which progresses in stages. Accurately determining this stage is crucial for making treatment decisions in chronic liver diseases and for monitoring treatment thereafter.
The gold standard for evaluating fibrosis is liver biopsy. However, due to the invasive nature of the method and the challenges related to its repeatability, there has been a need for a reliable, repeatable, and non-invasive method for assessing liver fibrosis. Currently, the best method that meets this need is "transient elastography," performed using the Fibroscan device.
Fibroscan is a device that quantitatively measures the elasticity of soft tissues using the transient elastography method. Fibroscan sends low-frequency and low-amplitude ultrasonic vibrations to the liver tissue, and the resulting elastic wave multiplies and propagates within the tissue. The speed of wave transmission is related to the elasticity of the tissue it passes through. As the stiffness of the tissue increases, the propagation speed of the wave also increases.
The device detects this speed to generate a numerical result, objectively revealing the amount of fibrosis in the liver.
The most significant advantage, aside from the fact that it does not require taking a sample from the liver compared to liver biopsy, is that it allows for a much broader assessment of the liver as a whole.
The procedure can be performed in just a few minutes. No special preparation is required other than fasting. During the procedure, which is completed in minutes, the patient feels no pain.
With this method, the level of liver steatosis and the elasticity and stiffness of the liver can be measured to determine the level of damage. Its ease of application and repeatability are important advantages. Since it is a non-invasive procedure, it has no side effects and does not cause discomfort.
Fibroscan can be used in all liver diseases that cause chronic damage to the liver. These diseases can be listed as follows:
Last Updated Date: 18 January 2023
Publication Date: 09 May 2022
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