I'm getting a fibroscan done on Tuesday, my first time. My doctor and specialist said they don't think I have anything as serious as cirrhosis, given that my last three ultrasounds done jn 2021, 2023 and August 13, 2024 all showed the same thing: grade 1 steatosis (mild fatty liver) with no other abnormalities. All liver enzyme and liver function tests have been well within normal for a long time. The reason for the fibroscan, according to my internist, is because in an endoscopy done by a gastroenterologist in July, he ghpught he saw portal gastropathy, which is often, although not always caused bybportal hypertension and cirrhosis.
Regardless, can anyone with experience with fibroscans tell me what the numbers are that I should look for, and their significance, once the scan is done?
Thanks very much in advance,
Terry
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ToughToes
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Hi ToughToes, while i had the fibroscan many years ago and none since, not sure what exact numbers were. I think 9.2 kPa and 350 or 400 fat. I had diagnosis of probable cirrhosis f4 and advanced fatty liver. I also had various blood test all showing something different. The US that started it all showed an enlarged fatty liver but no tumors. A US cannot show much else. After all testing my gastroligist was willing to accept the f4 cirrhosis and that was his diagnosis. I went for 2nd opinion, that hepotoligist/gastroligist just looked at my hands and chest saying he didn't think I had cirrhosis and because all test indicated something different and because he didn't use the fibroscan as a tool he suggested the biopsy. Which I did, that result was stage 1 fibrosis and mild fatty liver. He said the fibroscan can be inconsistent due to many variables, such as how fat you are. Every year after I had the US checking for tumor and a couple blood test. However he left and my new gastroligist wants the US every 6 months with blood test. Not sure why. I have only met with him through video. He says the only true test is biopsy but I guess unless blood work indicates different, I won't need that only every 5 years which would be in 3 more years.Let us know more after your test if you have questions about results. At that point you would probably hear more from the members. Good luck.
Thanks for all the information. Now I am concerned, because while I don't think I'm obese, I am 5' 11" and 215 lbs, so maybe 25-30 lbs overweight. If the fibroscan assessment is thrown off my my excess weight, I'm now wondering if there's much point in spending $90 to do it.
Maybe you can discuss your concerns before the test with your doctor asking what he thinks this test might tell him. Most do use it as a tool but most test are not 100% accurate, not even a biopsy. Maybe this will just tell him whether further testing might be needed or that the numbers are of no concern. As long as your other numbers look good and the fibroscan isn't alarming then I'd not worry but try to lose some weight even just 10% is good with exercise. Personally, I guess I'd pay the $90 just to get an idea, doesn't hurt and takes about 5 actual minutes. My advise going forward...research and ask questions. Good luck, let us know.
Yeah, I will. After the fibroscan though, no more tests for a while. I've had two ultrasounds over the past 8 months, both showing minimal fatty liver (veey mild), no worsening of it from one to the next, three sets of liver enzymes done over the same period. All normal. Were it not for the gastroenterologist's suspicion he saw portal gastropathy, my doctor wouldn't have done any further testing. She even told me that when I saw her last Friday.
10 years ago, I easily walker 5 Mike's every day. Unfortunately, I have an auto-inflammatory skin condition called hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) for short, which has worsened over the past 5 years in particular, and this has made walking long distances very painful at rimes. I still try to get out every day for a short walk (15-29 minutes), but that's not really enough to lose weight. Who knows? Maybe after the fibroscan, I'll finally have some peace of mind on the liver situation and will be able to focus more on pushing through the HS pain and going for longer walks to try and lose a little weight. That's what I'm hoping for anyway. Thanks again for your help! I really do appreciate it.
Well, today's the day. To say I'm anxious about the fibroscan would be an understatement. When you had yours, did they tell you the results right away? Or, did you have until they were sent to his doctor and you met with him?
Ok. You know how when you get a standard ultrasound, the tech doing the scan never tells you anything? At least in Canada, where I live, that's how it is.
Yes, a US specialist has to read it here too but the fibroscan doesn't need to be it's like blood pressure they know the results immediately. In fact it was a Doctor who gave me the fibroscan at the Unicersity. However, I didn't know I could have gotten the results immediately until after, so I did wait but got the results that day. Hope you can get them.
Oh, I see. You read that. Actually, it was more than 5 km per day, it was 5 Mike's per day. But, yeah, I'm a bit iffy about steroids like prednisone and methotrexate.
I had a dermatologist in a city about 100 miles away who I would see monthly before the pandemic. Unfortunately, he restricted his patients to those in his immediate region during the pandemic and, then, when things returned to normal, he had retired altogether.
My small city didn't even have a single dermatologist until last year and he's so busy that the earliest appointment I was able to get is this coming November. We'll see if he has any ideas.
Fibroscan is over. No scarring, but a tad more fat in my liver than I thought based on all the ultrasounds I've had in which the radiology report always said "mild fatty liver". Turns out based on the CAP score of 268,I'm just a little over(260) the cut-off between midland moderate. Bloods (LFT's/enzymes) are all great. So, it's a bit of mixed emotions ony part. Thrilled that my liver has no scarring,but a bit bummed that I have a bit more fat than I thought I did. In your opinion, would you say that the lack ofany scarring is the more important of the two?
Yes, you can change the fat with diet and exercise, which you want to do. It's not easy, I know that, then keeping it off....everything sounds good in the long run.
hi hard feet, sorry my humour. I have stage 4 cirrhosis. The most accurate reading I find are LFT etc blood tests. Ultrasound is also good, fibroscans seem to be ok. But regular bloods are the best in my opinion. Just go with your gut. Other people’s experiences are theirs as is mine. Don’t go looking for numbers etc we are all so different. If dr and specialist don’t think there is scarring I don’t understand why you are going for fibro scan. But hey ho different countries. Different procedure. If it’s not there great news. Losing excess weight is always a good thing, 1 lb a week is 52 pounds a year that is the way to take it off nice and slow. Good luck with whatever you decide but don’t fret please.
Thanks. No scarring, but a tad more fat in my liver than I thought based on all the ultrasounds I've had in which the radiology report always said "mild fatty liver". Turns out based on the CAP score of 268,I'm just a little over(260) the cut-off between midland moderate. Bloods (LFT's/enzymes) are all great. So, it's a bit of mixed emotions ony part. Thrilled that my liver has no scarring,but a bit bummed that I have a bit more fat than I thought I did. In your opinion, would you say that the lack ofany scarring is the more important of the two?
Oh definitely. You can’t do anything about scarring, but you can reduce fat around liver by weight loss. You have a choice with nfl but no choice with cirrhosis. Take it one day at a time. As we age we all get something that causes a wobble. If possible deal with it and move on. Try not to stress about it as stress seems to complicate things. It’s in your hands to have a healthy life style. Saying that I know that it’s a very big struggle to lose weight. I hope you achieve what it is you want to keep you well my friend.
Thanks very much!! I'm just a bit perplexed that my ultrasound of just a month earlier said "grade 1 hepatic steatosis (fatty liver), unchanged from the previous scan of December 7, 2023, which itself they said was unchanged from the scan before that on June 10, 2021., while this fibroscan CAP score says I have moderate steatosis, just slightly above the high end of mild. There is no way I could have added any significant amount of fat to my liver in only a month, especially when I drank zero alcohol during that time and did not change my diet one iota. I suspect that the discrepancy has much to do with the fact that the fibroscan uses precise numbers in a computer, whereas the assessment of the level of fat in the liver seen on an ultrasound is based on the subjective interpretation of the radiologist readi g the scan. What do you think?
I'm also in Canada. I just had a fibroscan and I think it'll probably be my last. I have cirrhosis from PBC. I've read many times that fibroscan results are quite inconsistent and it's been my experience that they are...been doing them every year or two since being diagnosed over 10 yeaars ago. I was told that fibroscans were done to determine the stiffness of your liver. I was told the ultrasounds (2x a year for me) are to check for liver cancer. I rely on my 2x/year blood tests more than anything to make sure everything's ok. Except for the last couple of tests where my Alkaline Phosphatase levels were very slightly elevated, my results have been normal for all these years after starting on Urso. BTW they wouldn't even release a copy of my fibroscan results to me. I either have to wait 3 weeks to talk to the doctor on the phone, or they sent my results to my family doctor and he'll probably force me to make an appointment to discuss them. I'm pretty sure doctors are required to give us our medical results but these guys aren't doing that. I figure it's so they can get paid for an appointment where they tell me what's what.
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