Transient elastography
Transient elastography (manufacturer's name of the French supplier Echosens : Fibroscan ) is a relatively new method with which the proportion of connective tissue in the liver can be determined in order to be able to determine or rule out liver cirrhosis .
functionality
A low frequency transducer placed on the abdomen near the liver creates an impulse that propagates in the liver. An ultrasound probe measures the speed of propagation of this pulse in the liver tissue. Since connective tissue is denser than liver tissue, the speed increases as the scarring increases. In this way, the proportion of connective tissue can be determined from the rate of spread.
Advantages and disadvantages
One advantage of the procedure is that it is a non-invasive procedure. The patient does not need any preparation or follow-up work and only feels the light knocking of the pulse generator during the examination, which takes a few minutes. In addition, the Fibroscan records a larger volume of liver tissue than with a puncture, as only a very small part is examined there (sampling error). The disadvantage of the method is that it is relatively imprecise in the early stages of cirrhosis and the values are difficult to compare. Therefore, the suspicion must be confirmed by a liver biopsy . It is only suitable as a safe aid if there is severe scarring.
Studies have shown that the test can predict the course of cirrhosis as well as other non-invasive methods.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Mireen Friedrich-Rust, William Rosenberg, et al .: Comparison of ELF, FibroTest and FibroScan for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis . BMC Gastroenterol 2010; 10: 103. doi : 10.1186 / 1471-230X-10-103
- ↑ Friedrich-Rust M, Ong MF, Martens S, et al. : Performance of transient elastography for the staging of liver fibrosis: a meta-analysis . In: Gastroenterology . 134, No. 4, April 2008, pp. 960-74. doi : 10.1053 / j.gastro.2008.01.034 . PMID 18395077 .