The Value of Transient Elastography (FibroScan) and Acoustic Radiation Force Impulse Elastography (ARFI) for the Assessment of Liver Fibrosis in 105 Patients with Chronic HCV Hepatitis

Abstract

To assess the concordance between the values of liver stiffness (LS) assessed by means of FibroScan and ARFI in patients with chronic HCV hepatitis. We have studied 105 subjects previously treated with standard of care therapy, mean age 54.3±9.3years. We assessed the severity of liver fibrosis according to the LS values obtained by means of FibroScan and ARFI. 10 LS measurements were performed both by FibroScan and ARFI; median values were calculated and expressed in kiloPascals (kPa) and meters/second (m/s), respectively. The cut-off values used for FibroScan (kPa) were: F1-6.4; F2-6.8; F3-9; F4-13.8 and for ARFI (m/s): F1-1.19; F2-1.21; F3-1.58; F4-1.82. FibroScan was indeterminable in 8 patients and invalid (IQR = interquartile range interval ≥30% and/or SR = success rate <60%) in 4 cases. ARFI was indeterminable in 1 case and invalid in 4 cases. Thus, LS could be assessed by FibroScan in 85.7% of the cases and by ARFI in 95.2%. In the 87 patients (82.8%) with valid measurements by both ARFI and FibroScan, the following differences were recorded between the severity of fibrosis: 0 (no difference in regard to the stage of fibrosis)-34 patients (39.1%); 1 point of fibrosis-20 patients (22.9%); ≥2 points of fibrosis 33 patients (37.9%). LS measurements by means of ARFI and FibroScan for the assessment of liver fibrosis were concordant or differed by a maximum of one point of fibrosis in 62% of the patients.