Fibroscan different numbers

[raenata]

I know I can’t get medical advice here but I’m interested to know how I figure out if the attached is reliable/accurate? I remember the Doctor talking about reliability measurements etc but forgot what he said/didn’t understand. It was something about how similar or different the numbers are. I can see one is at 4.5 and the others lower. There is a decent difference between the lowest and highest score..any help (generally) on what the different numbers mean would be super-helpful!

[jojokarak]

They take an average of the score which is presented in the individual pictures as they move the sonic reader about...

That's a fantastic result 😊

[raenata in reply to jojokarak]

O so it doesn’t matter that there is quite a difference between the highest and lowest?

[jojokarak in reply to raenata]

Not at all 😊

[CocoChannel]

The units used, KPa (Kilopascals), are usually for pressure. There are about 100 KPa on you right now with atmospheric pressure.

To try and put 1Kpa in context, that’s about one teaspoon of sugar sitting on a postage stamp. That’s not much of a variation in your figures which if I read correctly range from 3.3 to 4.5 KPa.

[raenata in reply to CocoChannel]

Thanks - lowest is 3 and highest 4.5

[CocoChannel in reply to raenata]

Just checked my “scores”. The printout looks almost identical to yours. My average from 12 valid readings was 7.0 with a low of 5.8 and a high of 8.0. Most importantly, apart from the normal stiffness, like the note on your results, I had F0 (no or very little scarring) and also S0 (no detectable fat).

I was a heavy drinker for over a decade and had a mild fatty liver diagnosed by an ultrasound. Then I quit drinking and got the scores above eight months later. I was pleased with my results and yours are even better.

[CarpeDiem11]

When liver damage occurs, it doesn't necessarily occur evenly across the liver, especially since the liver is such a large organ, Also, the way that the liver is damaged depends on the cause. When they carry out the fibroscan they take 10 readings usually and as has already been said, they then take an average. How the number is interpreted depends on the cause of the damage as each cause has it's own separate scale.

The probe sends a sound wave through the liver (which is reflected back to the probe)and this then generates a reading depending on the level of stiffness of the liver. The less stiff the liver, the lower the reading.

It is possible that some areas of the liver will show more stiffness than others, but as to how much variation there would be I don't know. It would be highly unlikely for anyone to have all 10 readings that were the same.

As far as I know the fibroscan is seen as very reliable for alcohol damage, since alcohol damages the liver in an even way. However, for someone like myself with AIH, it is less reliable, since AIH does not damage the liver in an even way.

The readings are all accurate. Accuracy is not the same thing as reliable, but very often people confuse the two, since no-one explains the difference. A thermometer will always be accurate, but if you take the temperature of your body by putting the thermometer is your hand, the reading will not be reliable. It is a lot more reliable when the thermometer is put under the tongue.

Probably more than you wanted to know, but I hope this helps.

[raenata in reply to CarpeDiem11]

Thank you! They actually think I have AIH too and that the damage is not alcohol related. Doc said 2-3 glasses is more than recommended amounts but probably not enough for significant damage. He also said my AST is never raised, only ALT and that I took an antibiotic (Nitrofurantoin) on a number of occasions that can cause AIH. I have anther Fibroscan in a month or so which will also measure CAP so hopefully the scores for kPA are similarly low then - not sure how quickly scarring progresses..

[CarpeDiem11 in reply to raenata]

Advancement of scarring depends on how quickly the source of scarring is removed and then maintained. For those of us with AIH, the immune system is attacking the liver so the source cannot be removed.

Instead inflammation has to be controlled initially through use of steroids and then with an immune suppressing drug. As long as they get the inflammation under control then further scarring should be limited. However, if you have type 2, as I have, then the outcomes can be different.

Many people don't get diagnosed until they have cirrhosis, so it looks like they have caught you early and hopefully this means treatment will be fairly straightforward and get it under control quickly. It's very unfortunate that this Nitrofurantoin has caused this, so I hope things turn out well for you.

The ALT is the liver marker that they will monitor to check if the treatment is working. AST can be generated from muscles and is not specific to the liver.

Good luck.

[raenata]

Thank you!

[Jennyhadenough]

My CAP score is 341 last year it was 330. My stiffness was 3 last year 2.7. No fatty liver shows up on any of my scans. But holly Mary if I have fatty liver from the steroids that is a high stage for me