Korean J Gastroenterol.  2016 Jul;68(1):4-9. 10.4166/kjg.2016.68.1.4.

Clinical Application of Non-invasive Diagnostic Tests for Liver Fibrosis

• Shin JW
• Park NH

• KMID: 2344485
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4166/kjg.2016.68.1.4

Abstract

The diagnostic assessment of liver fibrosis is an important step in the management of patients with chronic liver diseases. Liver biopsy is considered the gold standard to assess necroinflammation and fibrosis. However, recent technical advances have introduced numerous serum biomarkers and imaging tools using elastography as noninvasive alternatives to biopsy. Serum markers can be direct or indirect markers of the fibrosis process. The elastography-based studies include transient elastography, acoustic radiation force imaging, supersonic shear wave imaging and magnetic resonance elastography. As accumulation of clinical data shows that noninvasive tests provide prognostic information of clinical relevance, non-invasive diagnostic tools have been incorporated into clinical guidelines and practice. Here, the authors review noninvasive tests for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis.

Keyword

Diagnosis; Fibrosis; Liver

MeSH Terms

Acoustics
Biomarkers
Biopsy
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Tests, Routine*
Elasticity Imaging Techniques
Fibrosis
Humans
Liver Cirrhosis*
Liver Diseases
Liver*
Biomarkers

Reference

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