FibroScan / liver elastography
DEFibroScan / Leberelastographie
FibroScan (vibration-controlled transient elastography, VCTE) measures how stiff your liver is, in kilopascals (kPa). It sends a low-frequency shear wave through the liver and tracks its speed with ultrasound. Stiffer tissue means more advanced fibrosis (scarring). Validated cutoffs run from about 7 to 8 kPa for significant fibrosis (F2) up to over 12 to 14 kPa for cirrhosis. But the numbers can be skewed by inflammation, congestion, recent food, and BMI. In fatty-liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD), now the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, VCTE is endorsed as a non-invasive alternative to biopsy for staging fibrosis and tracking it over time. That avoids both sampling error and the risks of a biopsy. Modern devices also measure the 'controlled attenuation parameter' (CAP) at the same time, in dB/m. CAP quantifies liver fat, so one visit gives you both your fat content and your fibrosis stage.
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Sources
- Afdhal NH, Bacon BR, Patel K, et al. (2015). Accuracy of Fibroscan, Compared With Histology, in Analysis of Liver Fibrosis in Patients With Hepatitis B or C: A United States Multicenter Study. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatologydoi:10.1016/j.cgh.2014.12.014
- Eddowes PJ, Sasso M, Allison M, et al. (2019). Accuracy of FibroScan Controlled Attenuation Parameter and Liver Stiffness Measurement in Assessing Steatosis and Fibrosis in Patients With Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease. Gastroenterologydoi:10.1053/j.gastro.2019.01.042