Hi, I have a diagnosis of PBC since 2008 and I am on urso 750 daily.
I have a yearly US and I am wondering what is the purpose of a fibroscan.
I know it will give a better indication of where you are at but it won’t change medication or treatment as a result ?
A Fibroscan machine uses advanced ultrasound technology to assess the stiffness of your liver. It measures the speed of a vibration wave (a pulse) that is made by a probe on your lower chest overlying your liver. ... The stiffer your liver, the more likely that your liver has fibrosis or cirrhosis.
So based on the results, your doctor may or may not alter treatment plan. Or it is just good information to know.
Actually I requested my doctor to do one, just so we establish a baseline. & he said we can do one every few years for comparison. He also said the same for an ultrasound which I have done.
I was only aware of the fibroscan because of the posts on this site. Doctor didn’t mention it to me at all. When I asked him about it, he said we can do one if you’d like to.
Hope this helps.
Thanks for that.. I only became aware of fibroscan on this site as well.
It makes sense to have a baseline I guess I didn’t think of it like that
I live in Ireland and the cost of that scan is €250 so I just wanted to check to see if it was something I needed to do😊
I also had a bone density test done to establish a baseline as pbc makes us more suspectible to osteoporosis.
Hi there,
I agree with ningagirlwebb. Also, in case there are changes from test to test, they may recommend Ocaliva in addition to URSO. All in all its good information to know where you are in your own PBC journey. Anything we can do to help slow down or even halt the progression.... i'm for it. ❤
Knowing what's truly going on is key.
Stella
I had a fibroscan for the first time this summer. Was pleased to discover that the result for stiffness was in the normal range. Was even more chuffed to be told that the amount of fat in my liver was also normal. My consultant said that had I not lost weight the previous year the latter result would have been very different.
I am a little OCD about recording all my test results to keep a close eye on the progression of my PBC. Now I have two extra figures to add. Happy bunny!!!
Hi I have PSC and I have a Fibroscan yearly as well as an ultrasound Every 6 months I also have a colonoscopy yearly as I have UC
The Fibroscan take less than 5 minutes and is painless
I am lucky I am looked after by one of the top UK liver consultants
I am currently part of I trial to see if I specific part of my DNA may be the key to finding out what causes PSC
I am currently asymptomatic an d feeling OK
Ohhh that sounds good, I’m an identical twin and we have been put in the genome project to look into DNA she has diabetes type 1.5 and we both have autoimmune Hashimotos thyroidosis
Who is doing the genome project? I am also an identical twin. She doesn’t have PBC. I am AMA negative.
Wow, I think twins have a lot more problems than singles ☹️ Leicester university hospital in uk
I’m in US. I know what you mean. I also have a younger sister. Both she and my twin have brain aneurysms and diabetes. My twin used to tell me I sucked up all the good genes—not anymore though. LOL
Twoger- i had been diagnosed with Hashimotos (autoimmune)about 16 years ago no symptoms at all just bloods showed it, then 1.5 years later got pregnant then I had everything!!! and I have been struggling since my sister was fine for years after she said I was a hypochondriac then she was diagnosed with it too and slowly started with problems, I have had high cortisol fatigue flebitus tendinitis now have Candida overgrowth, leaky gut, weight gain, mercury toxicity not PBC is my most recent ailment, he has changed into this person we don’t know, complete change in character, I’m wondering if hers could be mercury toxicity also 😕
Joanne
I also have Hashimoto’s. On medication about 5 years. Twin doesn’t have Hashimoto’s. Also struggling with weight gain. Seems like everything doctors/consultants add comes with the side effect of weight gain! I think pregnancy does bring out other issues. It’s such a physical strain.
My endocrinologist is testing me for cortisol issues this week.
We just go along in life feeling fine then hit some wall and all these other ailments and diseases come falling down like bricks. I am amazed reading our PBC comments how different our individual experiences are even though we all have PBC— age at diagnosis, disease progression, other autoimmune diseases, AMA, symptoms, responses to Urso, etc etc.
Linda
Twojer yes it’s really sad as you try and fix one thing then you get something else, but I’m not one to give up, I’m now on Candida and leaky gut diet and lost beaky a stone! 🙂 got to get my fillings out (8 of them ) then I’m hoping I will feel better and then deal with Just PBC and thyroid 🙂
Hi I have a friend who is in late 60s with PSC he had been on Urso for many years for gall bladder and then had to have it lit and then realized that has PSC. who is the researcher u are seeing. We are in US thanx.
That's great wouldn't it be fantastic if they got a result. I have an US yearly and up until this September it has been good. The last one said the liver looked coarser so that's why I'm considering a FS. Keep well
My appointment letter just says US would it say fibroscan? If that’s what they were doing, are the ultrasounds ok to confirm damage and what stage?
Ultrasounds provide a structural view of the liver, coarseness or fatty liver can be seen. Fibroscans measure the elasticity or stiffness of the liver. Both are tools along with your lab work & other medical history for a doctor to assess & manage pbc.
While ultrasounds can be used to see coarseness, I don’t think doctors can use it to stage...it gives a picture of the liver. But doctors can compare it to previous ultrasounds to see progression.
Fibroscans give stages based on the elasticity measurements of the scan based on the liver condition.
Some folks on here only do the ultrasound; others do both. Think it depends on your doctor.
Ohhh right ok, I will ask for fibroscan as well thanjs
Fibrosan US is basically safer than MRI Contrast. Contrast can cause problems. I always request Fibroscan before MRI. Basically samething with out invasive MRI w/contrast.
Both, Fibroscan (Transient Elastography) and Shear Wave Elastography measure stiffness and amount of fibrosis in liver. SW-Elastography determines staging as well.
Please, read:
racgp.org.au/afp/2013/july/...
link.springer.com/article/1...
"Chronic liver disease is a substantial world-wide problem. Its major consequence is increasing deposition of fibrous tissue within the liver leading to the development of cirrhosis with its consequences of portal hypertension, hepatic insufficiency, and hepatocellular carcinoma. The stage of liver fibrosis is important to determine prognosis, surveillance, prioritize for treatment, and potential for reversibility. The process of fibrosis is dynamic and regression of fibrosis is possible with treatment of the underlying conditions. Previously, the only method of staging the degree of fibrosis was liver biopsy. The recent development of ultrasound elastography techniques allows a non-invasive method of estimating the degree of liver fibrosis. Transient elastography (TE) is a non-imaging elastographic technique, while point shear wave (p-SWE) and 2D-SWE combine imaging with elastography. The evidence at this time suggests that p-SWE is as accurate as but more reliable than TE, while 2D-SWE is more accurate than TE. This review discusses the background of chronic liver disease, the types of ultrasound elastography, how to perform an examination, and how to interpret the results. "
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