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Vibration Controlled Transient Elastography (Fibroscan®) in sickle cell liver disease ‐ could we strike while the liver is hard?
Author(s) -
Ben Yakov Gil,
Sharma Disha,
Alao Hawwa,
Surana Pallavi,
Kapuria Devika,
Etzion Ohad,
Hsieh Matthew M.,
Tisdale John F.,
Fitzhugh Courtney D.,
Kleiner David E.,
Levy Elliot B.,
Chang Richard,
Rivera Elenita,
Huang Amy,
Koh Christopher,
Heller Theo
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/bjh.16047
Subject(s) - transient elastography , medicine , liver biopsy , fibrosis , gastroenterology , elastography , liver disease , biopsy , pathology , radiology , ultrasound
Summary Vibration controlled transient elastography (VCTE) is validated for the evaluation of hepatic fibrosis in different liver diseases. Sickle cell liver disease (SCLD) results from a cumulative hepatic injury and its lifelong and progressive nature raises the need for a non‐invasive tool for fibrosis evaluation. Fifty patients, aged between 23 and 59 years with sickle cell disease and suspected SCLD underwent a VCTE followed by a liver biopsy. Biopsies were evaluated for various scores of liver disease that were then correlated to VCTE score. 90% of our patients had an Ishak Fibrosis (IF) score between 0–2 (Group A‐minimal to no fibrosis) and 10% of the patients had IF score between 3–6 (Group B‐advanced fibrosis). The median Transient Elastography (TE) for patients in Groups A and B was 4·8 kilopascals (kPa) and 17·6 kPa, respectively. A positive correlation was shown between TE and IF score, R = 0·0·68 ( P = <0·0001); a positive correlation was also shown with Histology Activity Index fibrosis score, R = 0·64 ( P = <0·0001). This study emphasises the need for further studies of non‐invasive tools and their utility in liver fibrosis evaluation of patients with SCLD.