Elastography Trumps Biopsy After a Liver Transplant
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Study: US elastography may best biopsy in diagnosis of liver fibrosis
Ultrasound-based transient elastography (TE) provides excellent diagnostic accuracy for detecting cirrhosis due to recurrent infection with hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection following liver transplantation, according to a study published in the March issue of Liver Transplantation.
The World Health Organization estimates that chronic HCV affects up to 170 million people worldwide and could lead to more severe liver diseases such as cirrhosis and liver cancer. An average 6,000 liver transplants are performed in the U.S. each year, according to experts. Medical evidence shows that liver transplantation recipients who are HCV RNA-positive at the time of transplantation are at risk of reinfection with HCV. Moreover, studies have determined that fibrotic tissue can develop more quickly in the transplanted liver resulting in rapid progression of cirrhosis and graft failure.
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