I was just told I have F4 Fibrosis

[Ecabral07]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here.

I am nervous/anxious, and scarred to my bone.

Yesterday I was performed a Fibro Scan and today my doctor emailed me saying the results said I had F4 Fibrosis (Cirrhosis) and refer me to a specialist.

I don't drink Alcohol at all, but I am obese.

My Number is 22.6 kPa.

I have no symptoms at all. Do you guys think I should recheck? I been hearing Fibro Scans on big guys tend to give wrong results.

Anyways, I'm so scared ---- I am determined to loose weight and change my lifestyle. But so far what I have read online, indicates it might be a lil too late.

I'm 31 btw...

Thank you for the support and thanking for having this space.

[Amy190]

Sorry to hear this , was you given your Cap score? This measures the amount of Fat in your liver. My KPA score was 21 , and my cap was 400 , obviously really bad results that suggest cirrhosis. I’m currently awaiting a biopsy to confirm.

I too am only 30, have no symptoms but I am obese , I weight 300lbs but have so far lost 15lbs since turning my diet round in four weeks. Mine was an incidental finding as this was a routine scan as part of a work up for a surgery, my liver panel bloods are entirely normal.

My consultant is quite sure I don’t have cirrhosis, he said that fibroscan can be inaccurate if you have severe steatosis of the liver and also if any other liver congestion issues are ongoing.

I’m trying not to worry, he’s very confident it’s not so I just have to trust that - I’m very large around the middle ( apple shaped) and I have so much fat around my upper quadrants of my stomach.

I have heard that the result can be incorrect and in some cases overestimated, the fibroscan on its own cannot confirm a diagnosis.

Do you mind me asking why you had the scan in the first place? Did you have a abnormal bloods?

I know it’s super hard , I was a nervous wreck the first two weeks after my results but once my consultant gave me further clarification that it's probably jot cirrhosis I’m quite relaxed now

It still could be but just go to hope.

Amy

X

[Ecabral07 in reply to Amy190]

Hi Amy,

My Cap is 378.

Yes, I had some lab work done in September 2020, which my doctor said some of my liver results showed to be a lil high. But didn't seem too concern, she just said, I'm going to order a FibroScan. Initially it was schedule for January 2021, but with COVID, it got pushed to March 2021.

I am also very large at the middle, and I remember the technician yesterday having trouble getting an accurate reading, but after 15 minutes of what seem "trying" different spots--he said he was able to---not sure if he did.

I been unhealthy for a while, i didn't expect to be F0 and my liver to be 100, but I just didn't expect to progress to F4 so quickly. In 2018, they told me I had some fat in my liver, but again, my doctor didn't seem too concern.

I guess for now, I'll start to eat better and exercise. I had already done so, but then stop. I'm also waiting for the referral to specialist.

Thank you for replying back.

Enrique

[Amy190 in reply to Ecabral07]

Are you having some sort of follow in place after this to confirm it’s a correct diagnosis?I would be pushing to check if it’s correct as you say you’re large around the middle and the technician had also take quite a while to scan you.

I was also told in 2018 I had fat on the liver but it was homogenous with a smooth outline - I’ve know for about 5 years I’ve had a fatty liver , but didn’t know how serious it was either

That being said my consultant also told me you don’t go overnight from having fatty liver to cirrhosis.

I would definitely push for more answers and in the mean time keep up the healthy lifestyle change x

[nash2 Partner]

I was 21.5 at diagnosis in 2015. I'm 9.6 today. It is a serious condition even if you don't have symptoms yet. That is a good thing. It is important to do everything you can to stop it now. Here is a link to our approach to food and the site has a lot of other information on it. It isn't too late but it does require attention to the details of your health. Good luck

fattyliverfoundation.org/li...

Wayne

[Ecabral07]

Hi everyone!

I wanted to update everyone on my current situation. Is been a month since I got the terrible diagnosis of my cirrhosis. Since then, i've completely changed everything I ate.. I stopped eating fast food and cut out all processed foods. I started walking everyday...and I am 15 lbs lighter.

1 week after my diagnosis, i was due for regular lab work... I got my results about a day later through an automatic system - and while I only got numbers for my ALT, no AST, my ALT was actually elevated for the first time -- 164.

At the end of March, I had my appointment with the Gastroenterologist. Upon, going over my medical history - he gave me some hope. He told me was going to order additional blood work and a CT Scan of my Liver to confirm the diagnosis. However, he told me, he was almost certain I did not have Cirrhosis. He said, FibroScans are very unreliable in differentiating stiffness due to fat versus scarring.

I got my CT scan done last week, and I got the results yesterday through again, an automatic system. I am not sure how to interpret the results. I have my follow-up with the Gastro, until the end of June. I have not done the blood work yet, since he told me I did not have to do them right away, just before June. I kinda want to wait out on the blood work at least until May (next month), just to see how much my on-going diet affects my results.

But for now, can anybody make what these results mean:

FINDINGS:

Lung bases are unremarkable.

ABDOMEN:

The liver parenchyma is diffusely hypodense, consistent with fatty

infiltration. The liver is enlarged. The portal vein is patent. There

is no biliary dilatation. No enhancing liver masses are identified.

Cholecystectomy clips are noted. The pancreas, spleen, adrenal

glands, and kidneys appear normal as visualized. The visualized

portions of the bowel appear normal. There is no lymphadenopathy.

There is no free air or free fluid in the abdomen. The visualized

bones appear normal.

IMPRESSION:

Hepatomegaly. Fatty infiltration of the liver.

No liver masses identified.

Is the "liver parenchyma is diffusely hypodense" a fancy word of saying I have a lot of fat in my liver, but no cirrhosis yet?

What I take from this is, I have fatty liver and my liver is enlarged. But honestly, don't know if this still means i have cirrhosis or not.

I know I will need to follow-up with the additional blood work, and then with the gastro at the end of June. But just wanted to share this with everyone here.

Thank you the support!

Enrique