Cirrhosis diagnostic study of choice

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Sudarshana Datta, MD [2]

Overview

In developing countries, liver biopsy is the gold standard test for the diagnosis of cirrhosis. The presence of bridging fibrous septa, parenchymal nodules bearing a mixture of replicating and sensecent hepatocytes and involvement of most or all of the liver are confirmatory of cirrhosis. Liver biopsy helps in confirmation of the diagnosis, determination of prognosis, underlying etiology, management of rejection subsequent to liver transplantation and evaluation of abnormal hepatic investigations. Sample of the liver may be obtained by Percutaneous, transjugular and laparoscopic radiographically- guided fine-needle approach. However, percutaneous liver biopsy is considered as the cornerstone of diagnosis. In developed countries, Fibroscan (transient elastography) is replacing liver biopsy as the gold standard diagnostic modality.

Diagnostic Study of Choice

Gold standard/Study of choice in developing countries:

Features of liver biopsy[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8]

Gold standard/Study of choice in developed countries:

  • Fibroscan or transient elastography has now replaced liver biopsy as the gold standard diagnostic modality in developed countries.
  • Transient elastography and the Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse (ARFI) technique are well-established methods for the staging of fibrosis in cirrhosis: [13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23] 
  • The FibroScan (transient elastography) uses elastic waves to determine liver stiffness which theoretically may be converted into a liver score.
  • The FibroScan produces an ultrasound image of the liver (from 20-80mm) along with a pressure reading (in kPa).
  • Transient elastography is much faster than a biopsy (usually lasts 2.5-5 minutes) and is completely painless.
  • Findings on transient elastography may show reasonable correlation with the severity of cirrhosis:[24][25]

References

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  3. Kim CK, Lim JH, Lee WJ (2001). "Detection of hepatocellular carcinomas and dysplastic nodules in cirrhotic liver: accuracy of ultrasonography in transplant patients". J Ultrasound Med. 20 (2): 99–104. PMID 11211142.
  4. Abdi W, Millan JC, Mezey E (1979). "Sampling variability on percutaneous liver biopsy". Arch. Intern. Med. 139 (6): 667–9. PMID 443970.
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  9. Cholongitas E, Quaglia A, Samonakis D, Senzolo M, Triantos C, Patch D, Leandro G, Dhillon AP, Burroughs AK (2006). "Transjugular liver biopsy: how good is it for accurate histological interpretation?". Gut. 55 (12): 1789–94. doi:10.1136/gut.2005.090415. PMC 1856467. PMID 16636018.
  10. Schirmacher P, Fleig WE, Tannapfel A, Langner C, Dries V, Terracciano L, Denk H, Dienes HP (2004). "[Bioptic diagnosis of chronic hepatitis. Results of an evidence-based consensus conference of the German Society of Pathology, of the German Society for Digestive and Metabolic Diseases and of Compensated Hepatitis (HepNet)]". Pathologe (in German). 25 (5): 337–48. doi:10.1007/s00292-004-0692-7. PMID 15278290.
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  12. Grant, A (1999). "Guidelines on the use of liver biopsy in clinical practice". Gut. 45 (Suppl 4): 1–11. PMID 10485854. The main cause of mortality after percutaneous liver biopsy is intraperitoneal haemorrhage as shown in a retrospective Italian study of 68,000 percutaneous liver biopsies in which all six patients who died did so from intraperitoneal haemorrhage. Three of these patients had had a laparotomy, and all had either cirrhosis or malignant disease, both of which are risk factors for bleeding.
  13. Castera L, Pinzani M (2010). "Biopsy and non-invasive methods for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis: does it take two to tango?". Gut. 59 (7): 861–6. doi:10.1136/gut.2010.214650. PMID 20581229.
  14. Friedrich-Rust M, Nierhoff J, Lupsor M, Sporea I, Fierbinteanu-Braticevici C, Strobel D, Takahashi H, Yoneda M, Suda T, Zeuzem S, Herrmann E (2012). "Performance of Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse imaging for the staging of liver fibrosis: a pooled meta-analysis". J. Viral Hepat. 19 (2): e212–9. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2893.2011.01537.x. PMID 22239521.
  15. Friedrich-Rust M, Ong MF, Martens S, Sarrazin C, Bojunga J, Zeuzem S, Herrmann E (2008). "Performance of transient elastography for the staging of liver fibrosis: a meta-analysis". Gastroenterology. 134 (4): 960–74. doi:10.1053/j.gastro.2008.01.034. PMID 18395077.
  16. Ziol M, Handra-Luca A, Kettaneh A, Christidis C, Mal F, Kazemi F, de Lédinghen V, Marcellin P, Dhumeaux D, Trinchet JC, Beaugrand M (2005). "Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis by measurement of stiffness in patients with chronic hepatitis C". Hepatology. 41 (1): 48–54. doi:10.1002/hep.20506. PMID 15690481.
  17. Sandrin L, Fourquet B, Hasquenoph JM, Yon S, Fournier C, Mal F, Christidis C, Ziol M, Poulet B, Kazemi F, Beaugrand M, Palau R (2003). "Transient elastography: a new noninvasive method for assessment of hepatic fibrosis". Ultrasound Med Biol. 29 (12): 1705–13. PMID 14698338.
  18. Bamber J, Cosgrove D, Dietrich CF, Fromageau J, Bojunga J, Calliada F, Cantisani V, Correas JM, D'Onofrio M, Drakonaki EE, Fink M, Friedrich-Rust M, Gilja OH, Havre RF, Jenssen C, Klauser AS, Ohlinger R, Saftoiu A, Schaefer F, Sporea I, Piscaglia F (2013). "EFSUMB guidelines and recommendations on the clinical use of ultrasound elastography. Part 1: Basic principles and technology". Ultraschall Med. 34 (2): 169–84. doi:10.1055/s-0033-1335205. PMID 23558397.
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