The Citi Lab Ultrasound Shear wave /Elastography for Liver (Fibroscan) Test Price and Details
Last Updated On Friday, April 25, 2025
The Citi Lab Ultrasound Shear wave /Elastography for Liver (Fibroscan) Test Price and Details
Last Updated On Friday, April 25, 2025
Ultrasound Shear wave /Elastography for Liver (Fibroscan) at The Citi Lab
What is Ultrasound-Fibroscan-Shear wave-Elastography?
In Fibroscan equipment, the transient elastography method is used to determine the liver's "hardness" (or stiffness). An assessment of liver hardness can be made by evaluating the speed of a vibration wave (also known as a "shear wave") generated on the skin. To calculate shear wave velocity, vibration waves are timed as they travel to a particular depth within the liver.
How is the test performed?
While lying supine, the patient's liver area is probed with an ultrasound-like probe, usually in the right mid-axillary area. Every time the probe generates a vibration wave, the patient feels a slight "flick". The procedure typically lasts 10 minutes and is painless for the patient. Patients should generally fast for at least two hours before the surgery, though the operator may give different precise instructions.
What conditions call for this test?
The main application of FibroScan is to calculate the degree
of liver scarring that is present (ie. stage of liver disease). This is
especially helpful in assessing individuals with chronic liver diseases, such
as fatty liver, chronic alcohol consumption, chronic hepatitis C, and chronic
hepatitis B. The idea is that the liver stiffness reading will increase as more
fibrosis and scarring take place. You could use this reading to:
- Assess the level of liver damage that is currently present.
- Guiding prognosis and subsequent management, including
medication, by tracking illness development or regression using serial
measures.
What role does it play in ultrasound?
FibroScan does not replace traditional ultrasound because it solely measures liver stiffness. This is significant to note because patients with the chronic liver disease typically need an ultrasound examination to determine the structural integrity of the liver and to check for signs of portal hypertension like a dilated portal vein, ligamentum teres recanalization, abdominal varices, and splenomegaly. Additionally, cirrhotic patients should undergo routine ultrasonography screening for hepatocellular carcinoma every 6 to 12 months. Transient elastography is a supplement to conventional ultrasound in the assessment of liver disease because it cannot carry out these tasks.
What do the findings indicate?
Results from FibroScan range from 2.5 kPa to 75 kPa. In
90–95% of healthy individuals without liver disease, the liver scarring
measurement will be less than 7.0 kPa (median is 5.3 kPa).
Studies that have employed liver biopsy as a "gold
standard" for detecting liver scarring have shown that an ideal cut-off
for the diagnosis of cirrhosis is about 14 kPa.
9,10 Patients with chronic hepatitis C with a stiffness of
the liver >14 kPa have a 90% chance of developing cirrhosis, whereas those
with a stiffness of the liver >7 kPa have an 85% chance of having at least
substantial fibrosis. 9,10 FibroScan cannot completely rule out the possibility
of significant liver disease even if the liver stiffness is less than 7 kPa, as
evidenced by the fact that the sensitivity and specificity of readings >7
kPa for significant fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease are only
79% and 78%, respectively10.
Depending on the origin of the liver illness, the readings
may require a somewhat different interpretation. Consequently, it is advisable
to interpret the data in conjunction with other clinical and/or biochemical
indicators, and ideally by someone with management experience for chronic liverdisease.
