— Christine M. Kukka, Project Manager, HBV Advocate
Historically, an invasive liver biopsy has been the only accurate tool to measure liver damage in hepatitis B patients. But biopsies, which withdraw a sliver of liver tissue through a needle, aren't perfect. They are invasive and they may miss a more diseased area of the liver and produce a faulty diagnosis.
Recently, doctors have pinned their hopes on a new instrument (Fibroscan), a type of ultrasound that measures how quickly vibration waves pass through a liver. The more damaged or "stiff" a liver is, the quicker the vibration waves pass through the organ. The test is painless, takes only a few minutes and produces an immediate diagnosis.
Now, a recent report published in the December issue of the journal of Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, confirms that Fibroscan is as reliable as a liver biopsy.
The U.S. study compared the accuracy of the Fibroscan results in more than 700 hepatitis B and C patients who also underwent a liver biopsy at several medical centers across the country.
"...We confirmed that (Fibroscan) provides an accurate assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis," they reported. Their findings showed similar levels of accuracy to similar studies performed in Europe and Asia.
Labels: fibroscan
