Non-invasive diagnostics of liver fibrosis: recent data on the possibilities of instrumental techniques
DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2020-4-5-297-301
E.A. Kulebina, A.N. Surkov, O.V. Usoltseva
National Medical Research Center for Children’s Health, Moscow, Russian Federation
Liver fibrosis is a progressive pathological process that develops in chronic liver disease. This pathology can lead to cirrhosis. Liver biopsy remains the gold standard for evaluation of liver fibrosis, currently, though, non-invasive diagnostic methods are being actively introduced into clinical practice. Unlike liver biopsies, most non-invasive instrumental techniques are easy to perform, accessible, and repeatable, making them more convenient for evaluating dynamic fibrotic change. The review summarizes the main principles of non-invasive instrumental techinques for assessment of liver fibrosis severity, which have been studied and put into practice in recent years. The most widely used techniques in clinical practice are based on principles of elastography — it indirectly determines the organ tissue density. The techniques are characterized by different sensitivity and specificity in the diagnosis of fibrosis. The main issues arise when differentiating the disease stag es. For some techniques, the limitation of use is ascites, excessive subcutaneous fat, whereas the main limiting factor for others is the high cost of the procedure. Meanwhile, there is every reason to believe that non-invasive techniques can take the main place in the diagnosis of liver fibrosis and replace biopsy in the foreseeable future.
Keywords: liver fibrosis, chronic liver diseases, non-invasive diagnostic techniques, elastography, liver biopsy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound.
For citation: Kulebina E.A., Surkov A.N., Usoltseva O.V. Non-invasive diagnostics of liver fibrosis: recent data on the possibilities of instrumental techniques. Russian Medical Inquiry. 2020;4(5):297–301. DOI: 10.32364/2587-6821-2020-4-5-297-301.
About the authors:
Elena A. Kulebina — pediatrician, gastroenterologist, potsgraduate student of Department of Gastroenterology, National Medical Research Center for Children's Health, 2, bld. 1, Lomonosovsky prospect, Moscow, 119296, Russian Federation, ORCID iD 0000-0001-9798-9617.
Andrey N. Surkov — Dr. of Sci. (Med), pediatrician, gastroenterologist, Head of Department of Gastroenterology with Hepatology Division, National Medical Research Center for Children's Health, 2, bld. 1, Lomonosovsky prospect, Moscow, 119296, Russian Federation, ORCID iD 0000-0002-3697-4283.
Olga V. Usoltseva — postgraduate student of Department of Gastroenterology with Hepatology Division, National Medical Research Center for Children's Health: 2, bld. 1, Lomonosovsky prospect, Moscow, 119296, Russian Federation, ORCID iD 0000-0003-0661-6976.
Contact information: Elena A. Kulebina, e-mail: e.kulebina@gmail.com Financial Disclosure: no authors have a financial or property interest in any material or method mentioned. There is no conflict of interests. Received 28.04.2020, revised 12.05.2020, accepted 26.05.2020.
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