Confused about results: Been drinking... - British Liver Trust

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Confused about results

Kreeis profile image
6 Replies

Been drinking somewhat heavy for a few years and after mixed scans throughout the year, I had a fibroscan done a month ago which revealed 14.1 kpa so F3, or advanced fibrosis. I just had a CT scan at the ER due to abdominal pain and it call came back normal. What gives? I was drinking pretty heavily before the fibroscan and I've seen inflammation throwing off the results. Even if that wasn't the case (which at this point l, I'm praying it is), why would a CT scan come back totally normal (unremarkable)?

Was told through CT scan that my liver was slightly enlarged and had fatty infiltration so how is nothing showing now? Any insight would be appreciated. I'm just so confused

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Kreeis profile image
Kreeis
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6 Replies
Hillclimber72 profile image
Hillclimber72

Hi if it’s any consolation I was diagnosed with cirrhosis only after my Fibroscan before then I had an ultrasound and CT

A CT scan and a Fibroscan deliver results using two very different methods.

Let's say you have a banana and you're trying to work out whether it's likely to be over-ripe. Typically you will look at it, a lot of information can be gleaned from how it looks, is it brown etc. Secondly you'll probably give it a little squeeze - does it feel 'squishy'. Chances are these two 'results' will coincide, but not always.

A CT scan will 'look' at your liver it can reveal a lot in terms of size, structure, texture etc. A Fibroscan will tell you how 'stiff' your liver is. Both these results are valuable, and in concert they are even more helpful.

Neither test is perfect, and all the results (along with blood tests and history) need to be reviewed by an expert who has a lot of experience interpreting these. Diagnosing liver disease is notoriously difficult.

A normal CT scan is good news, and it is possible for fibroscans to over-read in some circumstances, so hopefully you are under the care of a doctor who can look at all your results and help steer you to a diagnosis.

Best wishes

Paul.

Kreeis profile image
Kreeis in reply to velvetunderground

I appreciate that. Do you think maybe the fibroscan was an overestimate due to inflammation maybe? I just can't believe nothing would be seen on the CT if it was that scarred

velvetunderground profile image
velvetunderground in reply to Kreeis

In all honesty, that's really something you should discuss with your doctor. However, in my untrained opinion, it's certainly possible that an acutely inflamed liver could raise the fibroscan reading. Having said that, I think it's really easy to get fixated on numbers - whether it's fibroscan scores, blood test results or other scores. While completely understandable (and I've been guilty of it myself) you shouldn't look at one number in isolation and say 'well a score of X means a diagnosis of Y'. It's a lot more complex than that and much harder to be sure of a diagnosis. You really need someone highly trained to look at a number of different markers ideally over a period of time.

Stay well

Paul.

Kreeis profile image
Kreeis in reply to velvetunderground

Yeah I'm going to. I have a pain in that area. If it was enlarged (which I was told that causes the actual pain, not the fibrosis itself), wouldn't that at least show up? I'm just so lost and feel hopeless. Thanks for replying and giving your input. I really appreciate it

velvetunderground profile image
velvetunderground in reply to Kreeis

The CT scan should be able to show if the liver was very enlarged, but unless you have had previous scans to compare with, it might not be obvious looking at a single scan.

At this point, one of the most important things to do is to try and understand what has caused the problem. If you can do that, and remove the cause, then the liver stands a good chance of recovery from fibrosis. The situation is certainly not hopeless, and there is a whole lot you can do which will give you the best chances - avoiding alcohol completely, eating a good diet, maintaining a healthy weight and getting sufficient exercise - all predictable and a bit boring - but these things will make a _real_ difference. This forum is littered with people who have made great progress and recoveries from situations like yours with these strategies.

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