The role of ultrasound elastography as a tool for prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma in Egyptian patients with cirrhosis

Abstract

Objective The aim of the work was to study the role of ultrasound elastography as a tool for prediction of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis. Background Fibroscan is a novel, noninvasive, ultrasound technique–based technology that allows measuring liver stiffness. It is a noninvasive method for prediction of HCC. Patients and methods A total of 60 patients with cirrhosis were included in a case–control study from January 2014 to January 2015. Patients with obesity and ascites were excluded from the study. Patients underwent clinical examination, laboratory investigations, abdominal ultrasonography, triphasic computed tomography, liver biopsy, and fibroscan. They were divided into group I (patients with cirrhosis with no HCC) and group II (patients with cirrhosis with HCC). Results Stiffness range was 2.90–39.80 kPa among patients without HCC with a mean of 8.95 ± 7.27 kPa, whereas among patients with HCC, it was 8.40–75.00 kPa, with a mean of 31.10 ± 16.05 kPa. Fibroscan showed a high sensitivity (100%) and specificity (80%) for detecting HCC at the cut-off level of more than 12 kPa with a positive predictive value of 100 and a negative predictive value of 79%, and the area under the curve was 100%. Conclusion Transient elastography can predict HCC in patients with cirrhosis.