I’ve had scan on liver

[Smarter]

I went for my liver scan on Monday. The technician said all looked normal after. I wonder if they say that to everyone whatever they see, just waiting till next week to phone my GP, also wait for a date for appointment with specialist my GP organised.

[Dazakella2010]

Hi It depends what type of scan you had? Do you know what scan it was?

[Smarter in reply to Dazakella2010]

It was an Ultrasound, just like had when pregnant with my three children.

[Dazakella2010 in reply to Smarter]

Ok so In that case yes.... the ultra sound scans are done by doctors..... ct and mri’s are performed by radiographers but it is always best to wait for the report to be sent back to the person who requested the scan and for them to read the report to you.

[Hidden]

Hello,

Sometimes technicians say everything is Ok and what they really mean is that technically the scan was OK . It is always best to wait for the written report which your GP should have soon before coming to any conclusions but I really hope the technician meant what he/she said ie the scan is normal.

regards

[Ruggerhead in reply to Hidden]

hi Trust, sorry for butting in but heres something you might consider, I had 3 scans done in the hospital, MRI with contrast, CT scan, and 2 ultrasounds, blood work pretty normal, slightly raised liver enzymes, told all good. roll on a fibroscan and diagnosed stage 2 Fatty Liver, so maybe you might consider the Fibroscan, just saying...

[Smarter in reply to Ruggerhead]

I shall mention that to the specialist when I have that appointment, so thank you.

[Ruggerhead in reply to Smarter]

Make sure you do, i have seen the top Drs, and stuff can be missed, the Fibroscan is as I am told the next best thing to an actual invasive bio. So insist on it, it along with bloods will give you a great idea of the health of your liver..

[Dazakella2010 in reply to Ruggerhead]

Unfortunately a fibro scan is not always accurate and can give false readings so a biopsy is sometimes needed anyway.

[Ruggerhead in reply to Dazakella2010]

Thats interesting, do the results tend to be false positives or false negatives as i am wondering why repeated tests in hospital ie CT,MRI, standard ultrasound showed no problems, Fibro Scan showed NAFLD of 279, but as yet low fibrous. Could that positive reading be wrong. My bloods have returned to normal levels..

[AyrshireK in reply to Ruggerhead]

Fibroscan has been shown to show false high readings on the kPa reading for fibrosity as it can't tell the difference between actual fibrous tissue and ongoing inflammation. So it has to be taken in conjunction with blood test results and other tests.Your fatty liver score is a CAP score so it's likely that this result was accurate. With a CAP score of 279 reflecting Steatosis Grade of S2 (34-66% of liver fatty).

Your CAP score is a measurement of fatty change in your liver. Your healthcare provider will use your CAP score to find out your steatosis grade.

The CAP score is measured in decibels per meter (dB/m). It ranges from 100 to 400 dB/m. The table below shows ranges of CAP scores and the matching steatosis grade and amount of fatty change.

238 to 260 dB/mS111% to 33%

260 to 290 dB/mS234% to 66%

Higher than 290 dB/mS367% or more

Katie

[Dazakella2010 in reply to Ruggerhead]

They can sometimes give higher readings... so then a biopsy may be needed if the scan is doubted..

[Richard-Allen]

The difference in scans depends mainly on what they are looking for,

A Fibro-scan will measure the stiffness of the liver and will show if the liver is enlarged. It is rather limited but is a good indication of possible early signs of potential liver disease. This is why the British Liver Trust use the mobile fibro scanners on their "Lover Your Liver" roadshows. (Pre-covid unfortunately).

An MRI with contrast can show up a lot more information and also showup any possible tumours on the liver. These can be hard to define, but an expert hepatologist knows what they are looking for.

There are certain blood tests like the “ELF test with markers”. This can identify both liver fibrosis and possible fatty liver.

Most GP's won't be able to identify tumours on an MRI, this is best left to a hepatologist or gastroenterologist at the hospital. The results of which will be forward to the GP when they are known.

Richard

[Ruggerhead in reply to Richard-Allen]

Richard thanks for that heres a question for you, i recently had mildly elevated liver markers ie ALT,AST, GGT etc. I had a CT scan, and MRI with contrast, and 2 standard ultrasound tests in the hospital. I was then sent for a fibroscan which showed 279 av on the Cap, but normal on fibrois ie 2.8. So left with a fatty liver grade 2 diagnosis. So could the Fibroscan give a false positive, ie that I dont have any fatty liver at all. My diet is good, I'm not overweight etc. I was on some medications a while ago for about a month, and it seems that my bloodwork is once again at baseline. Can no alcoholic fatty liver appear suddenly or is it something i will have had for years?