What it measures and why it helps
FibroScan sends an ultrasound pulse and calculates how fast it travels through liver tissue. The stiffer the liver, the faster the wave moves, and that stiffness corresponds to the degree of fibrosis, that is, to accumulated scarring.
The same examination also quantifies the amount of fat in the liver, which tells you considerably more than the "bright liver" usually described on a standard ultrasound.
What it adds to blood tests
Transaminases can be normal with advanced fibrosis. Standard ultrasound shows fat but not scarring. Elastography fills precisely that gap, and does so without needing a liver biopsy.
When it is indicated
- Fatty liver, to determine whether fibrosis is present and to what degree
- Monitoring steatohepatitis and the real effect of treatment
- Hepatitis B and C, before and after antiviral treatment
- Harmful alcohol consumption
- Abnormal transaminases of unexplained cause
- Known liver disease, to monitor its course
- Liver involvement in adults with cystic fibrosis
How it is done
You lie on your back with your right arm raised. A probe rests on the skin between the ribs and several measurements are taken. There are no needles, no contrast, and nothing is felt beyond a slight vibration.
It takes a few minutes and you can resume normal activity immediately. The result is available on the spot and we discuss it in the same consultation.
Preparation
- Fasting for at least three hours, which is the only essential requirement
- Comfortable clothing allowing access to the right side
- Bring previous reports and ultrasound scans, if you have them, for comparison
In some situations the measurement can be less reliable, for instance with significant obesity or abdominal fluid. A specific probe is then used, or other tests are added.
The advantage of having it in clinic
Usually the consultation, the ultrasound and the elastography are three separate appointments, weeks apart, with an uncomfortable wait in between. With both scanner and FibroScan in the consulting room, it is all resolved in a single visit.
You leave knowing whether there is fat, how much, whether there is fibrosis and what we are going to do about it.