Liver Elastography
Chronic liver diseases cause damage to the liver and the formation of scar tissue. Increasing scar tissue accumulation causes liver stiffness and less elasticity. The doctor may recommend liver elastography to chronic liver patients or those at risk of liver fibrosis. The test is a noninvasive and painless procedure.
Type of Liver Elastography
- Elastography Ultrasound or FibroScan® is a fast and painless procedure that uses sound waves to measure the build-up of scar tissue and fat in the liver.
- MRE (magnetic resonance elastography) is for measuring the amount of liver fat with MR fat quantification technology.
Purpose of Elastography
- Assess the risks of cirrhosis, liver cancer, liver failure, and gastrointestinal bleeding.
- Determine the appropriate medications for chronic viral hepatitis
- Check the liver’s response to treatment.
- Evaluate the fatty liver because liver elastography can simultaneously measure both scar tissue and fat content in the liver.
Elastography Procedure
Before the procedure
Your doctor will inform you how to prepare yourself for the procedure.
- Avoid foods or drinks high in sugar for 2-3 hours before the test because foods and sugar can interfere with the diagnostic result.
- Do not wear jewelry and accessories such as watches, wedding rings, earrings, hearing aids, or dentures.
- Alert the radiologist if you have an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) or a cardiac pacemaker. For safety, the implant must be MRI-compatible.
- MRI during the first trimester of pregnancy is not advisable.
During the procedure
Because the MRI machine emits intermittent loud noises, you will get a pair of earplugs. You will lie supine on a moveable table which then slowly glides into the gantry of the MRI machine; pulses of mechanical shear and radio waves are directed at the liver in the magnetic field to assess if there is any liver scarring or stiffness. The radiologist will ask you to hold your breath for a short while from time to time for sharp and accurate images.
After the procedure
A radiologist will interpret the images and data and report them to your doctor, who will explain the result. The diagnosis of liver fibrosis is highly accurate. The images created by MR elastography can quantify the level of stiffness and scarring of the liver.
Stages of Liver Scarring
- F0 to F1: None or mild scarring
- F2: Moderate scarring
- F3: Severe scarring
- F4: Cirrhosis
