Real time ultrasound tissue Elastography in post-hepatitis chronic liver disease; role, limitations and pitfalls.

Abstract

Assessment of liver fibrosis stage is important in determining the prognosis and treatment strategy in chronic liver diseases. To overcome the limitations of liver biopsy, great efforts have been made to develop and validate non-invasive methods for detecting liver fibrosis, including serological indicators and imaging methods. Among these noninvasive methods, ultrasound-based elastography techniques are increasingly employed to assess parenchymal stiffness. Real-time transient elastography is most accurate one of them and rapidly evolving technique that can reveal the elastic properties of tissues, and display it as real time images. This technique can avoid unnecessary invasive liver biopsy.