FibroScan is a simple , rapid , non - invading , reliable and painless symptomatic pecker for assessment of rigourousness and staging of liver fibrosis in various inveterate liver diseases ( fat liver disease , hepatitis B and hepatitis C ) . It was introduced by Echosens in Paris , France in the European market in 2003 , China in 2008 , Canada in 2009 , Brazil in 2010 and Japan in 2011 and US in 2013 . It is now usable in 70 + countries . It is used to value tissue elastography ( tissue paper stiffness ) with the help of low - frequency ultrasound . Liver biopsy , which is an expensive , painful and invasive means for the evaluation of fibrosis and staging , has been used historically . However , FibroScan that is a non - invasive technique has become democratic since its Second Coming , as it carry less complication compared to biopsy and has come forth as an alternative to it .
Can you drink Water before a FibroScan?
FibroScan uses transient elastography proficiency and is a good technique . The patient role is asked to fast for 2 - 3 hours before the process as there is a greater chance of increase liver stiffness due to blood flow post - prandially . The affected role is asked to avoid even water 3 time of day before the function , thus a patient can not drink in water before FibroScan . However , a patient can take small sip of water if he / she is too hungry , but not in tumid amounts .
FibroScan does not require any kind of anaesthesia and it is a painless technique and takes only about 5 - 10 minutes to complete . Patient is asked to lie on supine position and remain their veracious hand above and behind the head and a water based gelatin is applied on the exposed right abdominal area . An ultrasound transducer probe is placed between the intercostal spaces on the right liver lobe . The speed of this circularise elastic shear waving is measure through a pulse - echo ultrasound , which directly correlates to tissue stiffness and liver fibrosis . The patient might feel meek vibration due to ultrasound undulation . A patient role can get the results soon after the test and there is no delay in receive results .
Limitations Of FibroScan
FibroScan that employ transient elastography has its own limitations . There are greater chance of failure rates and unreliable outcome in overweight / rotund patient , nipper , flimsy patients in which different probes are used than received probes . Liver stiffness values also take issue in the cases of alanine aminotransferase meridian and acute liver inflammation . Other limitations include age , BMI , metabolic syndrome , sinusoidal over-crowding , steatosis and extra hepatic acholia . Like any other ultrasound based technique , it is highly dependent on hustler .
What Is FibroScan Used For?
FibroScan is used to evaluate liver fibrosis and cirrhosis caused due to various liver diseases . The various liver diseases admit hepatitis B , hepatitis C , alcohol , non - alcoholic fatty liver disease , certain drugs and toxin , trauma and biliary obstruction . Liver fibrosis is overweening liver scarring due to reform-minded liver inflammation and liver cell death in chronic liver disease . Liver fibrosis happens when liver tries to repair its damaged cellular phone through dethronement of new collagen fibers . This deposition of repaired tissue upshot in scarred tissue paper or fibrous tissue formation . This exaggerated wound healing response interferes with normal liver function .
Liver fibrosis severity is classified in different point that helps find out the degree of hurt afflicted to the liver . The staging of liver fibrosis is imperative to appropriate discourse of liver disease patient . Staging is also useful in address patient ’s response to different handling sensory system .
The fibrosis staging dwell of five stages fibrosis scoring organisation ranging from F0 to F4 . F0 include no evidence of fibrosis , F1 level includes portal fibrosis without septa establishment , F2 stage has portal fibrosis along with few septa constitution , F3 staging comprise of various septum without any cirrhosis , and F4 staging consists of liver fibrosis . F3 and F4 are regard the most advanced stages of liver fibrosis .
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