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What Does A Slightly Coarse Liver Mean On Ultrasound?
Question: what does it mean if an ultrasound shows coarse liver.I have auhfor past 5 years,my biopsy then showed multiple confluent necrosis with bridging and today I was told liver is coarse,does this mean it is in fibrosis now.I am having a fibroscan in 3 week.Thanks for any informationTricia.
Brief Answer:
Sensitivity of general ultrasound in the detection of liver fibrosis is low
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Please find my observations below.
1. Liver fibrosis is a slightly difficult diagnosis on general ultrasound and it might have some subjective variation in interpretations.
2. Fibrosis in the liver is suspected due to general ultrasound scan showing surface nodularity, coarsened echotexture, and blunting of liver edge in early stages. However, these parameters are not highly sensitive and not accurately reliable.
3. Coarse liver can be seen in many conditions and is not specific for fibrosis. Fibrosis itself might present in many stages and in advanced stage it leads to complications like cirrhosis. Early and mild fibrosis might be reversible depending on the cause and mechanical factors causing obstruction to biliary flow cause faster progression to advanced fibrosis.
4. The sensitivity of ultrasound in the detection of fibrosis from coarse liver echotexture is low. Therefore fibroscan has been suggested to get an idea whether there is any change compatible with fibrosis. In this technique, the elasticity of the liver tissue is measures and a score is generated. Fibrosis is suspected going by the score in different parts of the liver.
5. In fibroscan, the fibrosis is graded from F0 through F4.
There is a 5 point scale in fibroscan which shows the various grades of liver appearance.
F0 is defined as no fibrosis, F1 is for minimal fibrosis, F2 shows fibrosis which has involved the liver and blood vessels, F3 is fibrosis is spreading and connecting to other liver areas that contain fibrosis and F4 shows cirrhosis or advance liver fibrosis
The final confirmation of liver fibrosis is biopsy and if required, your doctors might recommend another biopsy.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
Sensitivity of general ultrasound in the detection of liver fibrosis is low
Detailed Answer:
Hi XXXX,
Thanks for writing in to us.
I have read through your query in detail.
Please find my observations below.
1. Liver fibrosis is a slightly difficult diagnosis on general ultrasound and it might have some subjective variation in interpretations.
2. Fibrosis in the liver is suspected due to general ultrasound scan showing surface nodularity, coarsened echotexture, and blunting of liver edge in early stages. However, these parameters are not highly sensitive and not accurately reliable.
3. Coarse liver can be seen in many conditions and is not specific for fibrosis. Fibrosis itself might present in many stages and in advanced stage it leads to complications like cirrhosis. Early and mild fibrosis might be reversible depending on the cause and mechanical factors causing obstruction to biliary flow cause faster progression to advanced fibrosis.
4. The sensitivity of ultrasound in the detection of fibrosis from coarse liver echotexture is low. Therefore fibroscan has been suggested to get an idea whether there is any change compatible with fibrosis. In this technique, the elasticity of the liver tissue is measures and a score is generated. Fibrosis is suspected going by the score in different parts of the liver.
5. In fibroscan, the fibrosis is graded from F0 through F4.
There is a 5 point scale in fibroscan which shows the various grades of liver appearance.
F0 is defined as no fibrosis, F1 is for minimal fibrosis, F2 shows fibrosis which has involved the liver and blood vessels, F3 is fibrosis is spreading and connecting to other liver areas that contain fibrosis and F4 shows cirrhosis or advance liver fibrosis
The final confirmation of liver fibrosis is biopsy and if required, your doctors might recommend another biopsy.
Hope this answers your question. Please feel free to correct any oversight in my interpretation of your problems and discuss them in detail as per your requirements.
Hope your query is answered.
Do write back if you have any doubts.
Regards,
Dr.Vivek
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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