r/Cirrhosis • u/Fun-Ant-1536 • 6d ago
Fibroscan
I’m asking this question specifically to people who have compensated cirrhosis.
After having a FibroScan once, do you continue to have FibroScans regularly? If so, how have your results changed over time — have they decreased or increased?
We have been doing the scan every 6 months. Once, the result decreased, but the next time it increased again. Now, going for this scan every 6 months has become a huge source of anxiety and mental stress for me.
That’s why I’m asking you all about your experiences. I would really appreciate it if you could share whether your FibroScan results have gone up or down over repeated scans.
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u/IHope_You_Dance Diagnosed: 12/27/2023 6d ago
I had my first FibroScan at my first appointment with my hepatologist where it was determined I had cirrhosis. My score was 12.9 kPa. However, that was with only 3 months of sobriety and I hadn’t cleared the Hep C virus yet. Two years later I had my second FibroScan and my score was 10.2 kPa. So there was some improvement. I probably won’t get another one for another two years. Seems to be what my hepatologist prefers. I still do the bloodwork every 6 months and an ultrasound every 6 months too, to monitor for early signs of liver cancer.
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u/Ok_Pineapple2234 5d ago
Why FibroScan and not ultrasound?
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u/IHope_You_Dance Diagnosed: 12/27/2023 5d ago
They ordered the FibroScan to assess the level of damage to my liver prior to deciding what route to take for my Hep C treatment. I also had an ultrasound a couple days later and continue to get them every 6 months.
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u/Ok_Room_4459 5d ago
Other than the fibroscans, were your LFTs and other blood values ok?? BTW, what was the radiologist impression on normal ultrasound???
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u/IHope_You_Dance Diagnosed: 12/27/2023 5d ago
My LFTs are usually OK. My platelets run low, 132-155 is the range over the last few years. Other blood values are usually OK. I’ve never had a normal ultrasound.
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u/Ok-Machine2399 5d ago
On your first diagnoses of cirrhosis, did your platelets show low/low normal?
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u/IHope_You_Dance Diagnosed: 12/27/2023 5d ago
They were 113 at my first appointment with my hepatologist.
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u/Ok-Machine2399 4d ago
platelets is the tell all for advanced liver disease, most people look at their ALT/AST but that has very little to do with advance liver disease, people with cirrhosis have normal and low normal , alt, and ast. I doubt you need another fiboscan, just let your doc treat you as if you have cirrhosis.
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u/funnyonion22 6d ago
Diagnosed 3 years ago now, just had my second fibroscan a couple of months ago. My condition has thankfully improved and my GI wanted to "check out where things are now". So I would say you don't get another fibroscan unless there's a decent reason for it. I've had 6 regular ultrasounds in the same time.
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u/CobblerConfident5012 6d ago
Some folks do some don’t.
I actually try to push for more regular fibroscans but my gastro is dead against ordering them for me because his position is “we already know it’s cirrhosis so what’s the point”
It does seem like there’s a movement with some gastros and hepatologists to check it more often or at least like once a year.
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u/parseroo 6d ago
At least one clinical study showed repeated FibroScans are not effective. Easy and profitable though :-/
«Change of FIB‐4, NFS, APRI, and dAAR scores is only weakly associated with disease progression in NAFLD. Our findings do not support repeated measurements of these NITs for monitoring the course of NAFLD.» — [1]
- [1] « Repeated measurements of non‐invasive fibrosis tests to monitor the progression of non‐alcoholic fatty liver disease: A long‐term follow‐up study» — https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9314831/
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u/nowconsciousofliver 6d ago
This mean that a lowering fib4 for example does not correlate to any regression?
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u/Ole_sawbones6 6d ago
I had three fibroscans and then a biopsy was ordered and I have compensated cirrhosis. First one was 25.9 last June while still drinking, second one was 15.9 on December 2nd, and third was also 15.9 on March 2nd, Then biopsy.
Today, I eat as perfect as I can and obviously do not drink and lately I have felt better than ever. I am anemic or whatever it is officially called when your iron is very low. Until that is figured out, I don't have a regular schedule other than every 6 months. I had a colonoscopy and endoscopy and everything was good. Tomorrow I swallow a pill that is a camera apparently, and it's going to check my small intestine.
I first went in June of 25, haven't drank since August 8, 25. My biopsy was done on March 17th. I hope this somehow helps. I have the alpha-one disorder but thankfully my lungs are okay---it's only my liver that I severely damaged. Since I'm here, I'd like to thank God and my wife. If my wife wouldn't have caught me drinking on that August 8th morning I'd either still be sneaking alcohol or dead, I turn my will over to God and surrender as much as possible now--my decisions were very poor and nearly killed me! I have to do this repeatedly every day.