| Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6107595 | Journal of Hepatology | 2012 | 7 Pages |
Background & AimsUnreliable results of liver stiffness measurement are obtained in 16% of cases and are independently associated with body mass index (BMI) greater than 30Â kg/m2. A new FibroScan® probe (XL probe) was designed specifically for obese patients. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of liver stiffness measurement using M and XL probes of Fibroscan® for the diagnosis of fibrosis and cirrhosis in a large cohort of patients.MethodsConsecutive patients undergoing liver biopsies for chronic liver disease were prospectively recruited. Liver stiffness measurement was performed within 1Â week before liver biopsy using both M and XL probes of FibroScan®.ResultsA total of 286 patients were evaluated. A reliable liver stiffness measurement using M probe was obtained in 79.7% of cases. In the other 21.3%, liver stiffness measurement using XL probe was obtained in 56.9% of patients. A strong correlation was found between M and XL values, regardless of BMI. In all groups, median liver stiffness measurement using the XL probe was significantly lower than liver stiffness measurement using the M probe. By multivariate analysis, unsuccessful liver stiffness examination with M probe was independently associated with age >50Â years and BMI >30Â kg/m2. By univariate analysis, only BMI >30Â kg/m2 was associated with unsuccessful liver stiffness measurement with XL probe. No significant difference was observed between the M and XL probes for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis.ConclusionsLiver stiffness measurement with either M or XL probe is possible in 91.2% of patients with comparable diagnostic accuracy. In clinical practice, the M probe could be used as first step for liver stiffness measurement. In case of no valid shot or unreliable measurement, the XL probe could be used. This result could be useful for the assessment of liver fibrosis in NAFLD and/or obese patients.
