Inflammation & Fibroscan

Hello. Here’s a scenario. If there’s inflammation happening when a fibroscan is administered, can the results be an overestimation of stiffness and I’d do, by how much? And what are the signs if any of an inflamed liver?

[DavyGravy]

Hi Quas

Inflammation can affect the accuracy of a fibroscan result. I'm assuming that the inflammation/ swelling would stretch the surface of the liver making it less flexible, which would elevate the scan result. How much? I have no idea, I'd assume it would depend upon how inflamed the liver is when scanned.

I do not know if there is a limit to the amount the result can be elevated. Also it might have other factors or parameters, perhaps certain liver diseases are affected in different amounts. But I am assuming that if a kPa showed above a certain figure, then cirrhosis would be diagnosed even allowing for inflammation.

In my case, I know Hep C causes liver inflammation, and I'm on my last 5 days of treatment and I am hep c free . I expect (hope) that when I have my next fibroscan, my kPa has come down. I know Mike-S has dropped his kPa significantly, I would really like to see the same but I think it will be less in my case.

Dave

[kensimmons in reply to DavyGravy]

It is my understanding that the readings can be quite affected up and down by inflamation in the body, including things like obesity, etc. If you think it is possible that this has happened do what you can to lose extra weight (say 10 percent of total weight - but only if you are obese, if you are anorexic obviously don't do this), work out (if you can) and get tested again in 6 months. See what it comes up then.

But I am NOT a doctor, so, take that for what it is worth. Perhaps he or she will suggest a different way to go.

Cirrhosis is serious but it is not a death sentence. Stay positive! There are options.

[vinylcollector in reply to DavyGravy]

Surely, the medical examiners should be explaining this to you, rather than people guessing on here. As I understand it, the Vibroscan measures stiffness within the Liver, the greater the stiffness, the greater the scarring. Think of a piece of fresh Liver, from the shop. It is smooth, jelly like and firm. Scarring will over time, turn it into a brittle hard mass. This is all the sonar wave picks up. Inflammation will show up in your blood results, in my personal experience. I don't think inflammation would be picked up or would affect it. Scarring is the after effects of inflammation. All they do is a very simple procedure, non invasive, very little explained. 2 mins later all done. I was none the wiser, because it's poorly explained and you are quickly moved on. The figure was posted to me, yet it means nothing, unless explained fully by the those that understand, yet they all say something different. I'm not a medical person, but I have had the scan plus other scans, gallons of blood test and results. That I'm not told unless I ask, then it's quoted from the screen. Reduce or cut out things that will cause problems is the best course.

[Ruggerhead in reply to DavyGravy]

Ok, so heres my take on things having had 5 fibrascans in the last year. Like the bloods the scan is only a snapshot in time, meaning that there are many things that can influence it, meaning some technicans say that if you had a big fatty meal before you had one that could influence the readings, if your liver was still processing fats, medications, alcohol, inflammation etc etc then they could all influence results. The scan sends waves out that bounce, or do not bounce off the liver, they are then timed, so you can imagine sending waves into a nice spongy, fat free liver produces a different response to one that is firm and scarred. That is the principle, what you get is two readings, the amount of fat on the liver, and basically its firmness, both results can change given a change in lifestyle, medications etc. By removing the fat content and decreasing the stiffness. But Im sure you know that already, but to answer your original it is my belief talking to many liver experts that yes various things can and will influence the reading, even down to too the experience of the technican. I had one done once and thought this cant be right, did another 5 minutes later completely different.

[Hidden in reply to Ruggerhead]

Thank you for taking the time to respond Ruggerhead. I now have the distinct impression fibroscans are but one piece of a complex puzzle. Like any other test, it’s a snapshot like you said, of that moment in time. So many variables to consider. Just wish the medics would take a wee more time to explain rather than inadvertently incite worry.

[Slsslw]

Yes! My first fibroscan in October 2021 showed 17.4 kPa, but at that time I was still drinking snd my AST and ALT were high. Stopped drinking and my blood tests in February 2022 were all normal and new fibroscan was 11.3!!! Liver specialist said alcohol probably inflamed liver leading to increased liver enzymes and therefore fibriscsn results were over what they should be. Still not drinking snd next scan is in April and hoping to see numbers even lower. Good luck!

[Hidden in reply to Slsslw]

Thank you all for responding. Slsslw - interesting that your initial first scan was 17.4 same as my score due to NAFLD. I’ve lost about 25 pounds since so I’m hoping for a new scan within a few months. All bloods were normal.

[vinylcollector in reply to Slsslw]

As I said, it works like sonar, the scan sends a wave, that will hit anything in the way, then bounce back. Scarring creates stiffness. Enzymes, little to do with that, because scarring is end of the pier. I do wonder, if these medical people actually just blurt out the first thing that jumps into their head.

[Hidden in reply to vinylcollector]

I have great respect for the medical profession but one of my pet peeves is they sometimes think as laypeople, we should know what they’re talking about. They spend little time walking through test results. In my case, the first I heard of cirrhosis was when the tech administering the fibroscan blurted out, “Your liver is quite damaged …” handed me the printout with F4 Cirrhosis as the headline and walked out.

[vinylcollector in reply to Hidden]

I didn't get a print out, I got a report that said 'I wasn't surprised by the result'. You have to drag it out of them, most of it is meaningless, because they fail to explain. They should say, 'Yes you do have this or that, this means this or that' but they all say something different.

[Hidden in reply to vinylcollector]

I couldn’t agree with you more. We need to be our best advocate.

[Whyt]

Results 15.1/10.1/7.7 over 6m due to swelling and addressed by zero alcohol and healthy diet and exercise

[DavyGravy]

25 pounds, that is awesome Quas

[LeverHead]

It can, yeah. It depends on the root cause of the disease too, maybe. In my case, it was probably that. Had Hep C for some years, and every time I would do a Fibroscan test my results were always the same, ranging from 9.0 kpa to 9.5, all this for 4 years of routinely checking. After I got cleared of the virus in 2017 and did another one after 6 months it went to 4.3 kpa. So I suppose the answer is yes.