Clin Mol Hepatol.  2012 Jun;18(2):163-173. 10.3350/cmh.2012.18.2.163.

Clinical applications of transient elastography

• Jung KS
• Kim SU

• KMID: 1743723
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.3350/cmh.2012.18.2.163

Abstract

Chronic liver disease represents a major public health problem, accounting for significant morbidity and mortality worldwide. As prognosis and management depend mainly on the amount and progression of liver fibrosis, accurate quantification of liver fibrosis is essential for therapeutic decision-making and follow-up of chronic liver diseases. Even though liver biopsy is the gold standard for evaluation of liver fibrosis, non-invasive methods that could substitute for invasive procedures have been investigated during past decades. Transient elastography (TE, FibroScan(R)) is a novel non-invasive method for assessment of liver fibrosis with chronic liver disease. TE can be performed in the outpatient clinic with immediate results and excellent reproducibility. Its diagnostic accuracy for assessment of liver fibrosis has been demonstrated in patients with chronic viral hepatitis; as a result, unnecessary liver biopsy could be avoided in some patients. Moreover, due to its excellent patient acceptance, TE could be used for monitoring disease progression or predicting development of liver-related complications. This review aims at discussing the usefulness of TE in clinical practice.

Keyword

Chronic liver disease; Cirrhosis; Decompensation; Fibroscan; Fibrosis; Hepatocellular carcinoma; Liver stiffness measurement; Transient elastography

MeSH Terms

Antiviral Agents/therapeutic use
Carcinoma, Hepatocellular/epidemiology/physiopathology
Chronic Disease
*Elasticity Imaging Techniques
Hepatitis B/drug therapy/physiopathology
Hepatitis C/drug therapy/physiopathology
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis/*diagnosis/ultrasonography
Liver Neoplasms/epidemiology/physiopathology
Recurrence