Fibro scan confusion.

[Tommyboy1111]

Hi, been a long time lurker but never posted, so I’ll say hi all, I am writing his because I am currently confused about some results I had, I had a endoscope last year after been hospitialised after a rather large stomach bleed and vomiting coffee like substance which I later found out was blood, anyway I was diagnosed with stage 1 varices, and after lots of researches I came to the conclusion it was probably down to lots of fibrocies on the liver due to the onset of Liver cirrhosis.

I have just had a Fibro scan and the results came back at 5.7 which means as I’m aware I have little or no fibrosis, this is very confusing as both results conflict each other, I am going to do liver results at the doctors I did have them at the hospital last year and was told I don’t have cirrhosis yet but I’m on the right track, as I said I’m confused.

[AyrshireK]

I think I would definitely want some follow up to give a definitive diagnosis - you can have non-cirrhotic portal hypertension. When you were hospitalised with the bleed did you not have an ultrasound scan or other follow up? I am not sure on the reliability of fibroscan.

My hubbies first presentation was with a massive upper GI bleed (he had 7 burst varices), during a three week hospital stay he had an endoscopy and banding, an ultrasound scan which confirmed a diagnosis of cirrhosis and a liver biopsy which was inconclusive as to cause but doctors subsequently gave a diagnosis of auto-immune cirrhosis. At that time he also has severely deranged LFT's but now returns normal blood test results.

I guess if you have been looking after yourself since your bleed your liver health could have improved but I would still be looking for some clarification.

All the best to you,

Katie

[Tommyboy1111 in reply to AyrshireK]

Hi thanks for replying, no I didn’t have any scans I foolishly left the hospital, I did do follow up doctor appointments but was basically told your liver looks to be working and even a few beers would be dangerous to me now, I did do three months sober but had a slip and now I’m back sober again, I guess I will have to have another endoscope to check the varices.

Regards Lee.

[AyrshireK in reply to Tommyboy1111]

I'd be tempted to request an ultrasound scan, it was from that and symptoms hubby was told he had cirrhosis. The issue with cirrhosis is it can exist in a compensated state and manage to tick along doing many of it's functions, it's when it slips into a decompensated state when it starts to give off major symptoms.

If you've not read it already the British Liver Trust has a page all about cirrhosis and it's well worth a read to see if you feel you are having any of the early symptoms - my hubby it turns out had many of them before his variceal bleed. These early symptoms had been written off by doctor as 'stress and anxiety' due to other issues he'd been dealing with at the time.

Do get checked out and continue to keep off the booze.

Katie

[Hidden]

I also have AIH, but have had a bleed, despite my ALT levels being normal and the fibroscan not being suggestive of this happening (I have a low score also which confounded the consultant). However, after further discussion with my consultant, (and some information from German research) it seems that it is possible that this sort of damage can occur as a result of where the damage (scarring) on the liver is. Since the fibroscan gives an average reading across the liver, it is unlikely to suggest problems for some of us.

I have portal hypertension and apparently it is the platelets that will give an indication as to whether or not this is likely to be an issue. So the fibroscan could as you have found out indicate low scarring, but you could still have portal hypertension and thus varices.

I have yearly endoscopies to check for further varices.

Hope this is clear? All the very best