Ultrasound reliability

[Nixxysarge1]

Hello again guys.

Little update from my last post (21 months sober with RUQ pain for those who missed it)I decided to bite the bullet and pay for a private ultrasound which I had yesterday. All looks very healthy, great news. My question is how reliable is the ultrasound In diagnosing different degrees of fibrosis? I have provisionally booked a Fibroscan for Monday (again private and costly) is it worth going to if the ultrasound results were good?

Awaiting bloods still!

Many thanks (:

[Kristian]

Ultrasound is reasonably good at identifying cirrhosis as it usually appears as a nodular surface that the ultrasound can pick up. Fibrosis however its less likely to be reliable for as there's probably not the same degree of surface texture change. US can detect internal density changes too, but I'm not sure how much change would occur on that front in the fibrosis stages. US can though detect very well size changes of the liver, so it can pick up whether anything is leading to an increase in size.

[Nixxysarge1 in reply to Kristian]

Thank you for your reply. That makes a lot of sense. I think I will go for the Fibroscan just to check if there’s any fibrosis at all. I’d be very surprised if there wasn’t, I’d been weekend binging from the age of 18-24 and then pretty much daily from 25 - 32. Even if there’s a small amount of fibrosis I think prevention is better than cure.

Thanks for your reply.

[Fibro2021]

Hello.Ultrasound generally does not diagnose liver fibrosis and its stages until visual scars appear on the liver. Therefore, fibroscan and elastography devices were specially developed to determine fibrosis and its stages. MRI elastography is currently considered the most reliable method for determining fibrosis. Special calculation biochemical tests are also used. Liver biopsy is still considered the gold standard.

[Nixxysarge1 in reply to Fibro2021]

thank you for your reply! I won’t count my chickens just yet!

[mtk0925]

I’ve read the Ultrasound Can see stuffiness and possible determine fibrosis but not stage it

[HermioneGranger]

I’d say get the Fibroscan for peace of mind. We all tend to obsess about the unknown and assume the worst. Answers will let you move on. If the results mean you should make changes in your daily life, you can begin making them. All the best.

[Nixxysarge1 in reply to HermioneGranger]

Thank you (:

[Dolly1001]

everything crossed for you, I still occasionally have URQ pain, but as time marches along, it becomes less. It was explained to me that in my case (my stomach is a rearranged reconstruction) this pain is possibly inflammation of another organ in that vicinity.🕊