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A specialised form of ultrasound technology to assess liver stiffness and fat content.
A Fibroscan, also known as transient elastography, is a simple, painless and non-invasive test. A small device, similar to an ultrasound machine, uses high-frequency sound waves to identify early signs of liver damage including fibrosis (scarring) and steatosis (fatty change).
Liver fibrosis is caused by repetitive or long-lasting injury or inflammation.
The cells of the liver encourage wound healing during which excess proteins such as collagen and glycoproteins build up in the liver.
Eventually, after many instances of repair, the liver cells can no longer repair themselves and the excess proteins cause a thickening or scarring of the tissue known as Fibrosis.
Over time Fibrosis will have an impact on how well your liver functions.
Most types of chronic liver disease can eventually cause fibrosis including:
For your FibroScan, you will be asked to lie on your back on an examination couch. You will not be required to remove any clothing, but we will need to expose the right side of your abdomen. Therefore we don’t recommend wearing a dress on the day of the scan.
Whilst placing your right arm above your head, the radiologist will place the probe on your abdomen over the area where your liver is. The probe will emit soundwaves that will pass through your skin to your liver and bounce back.
This may feel like a gentle flick on your skin but should not hurt. This procedure is repeated at least 10 times to ensure accuracy and the average time it takes for the soundwaves to bounce back is used to determine the elasticity of your liver and the presence of any regions of scarring.
The scan takes approximately 10‒20 minutes.
The benefits of a FibroScan include:
The results will be sent to your consultant with 48 hours and they will discuss them with you at your next outpatient appointment. Â Your consultant will then advise on a personalised treatment plan where necessary.
Yes, you will need a referral from your consultant to undergo a Fibroscan.
