FibroScan Liver Health Assessment

A FibroScan is recommended for people at risk of liver damage, including those with viral hepatitis (type B or C), metabolic (fatty) liver disease (MASLD/MASH), obesity, diabetes, alcohol excess, or for the assessment of abnormal liver enzymes. A hepatic FibroScan can also be used to monitor existing liver conditions by non-invasive assessment.

A FibroScan of the liver is indicated if your doctor suspects liver damage or disease or if you have a condition such as viral hepatitis, metabolic liver disease, or alcohol-related liver disease. A FibroScan liver test can help assess these concerns.

A FibroScan can't detect liver cancer directly. It measures liver stiffness (fibrosis) and fat, which helps assess liver health, but it doesn't diagnose liver tumours or masses. While a FibroScan result analysis can show if you're at higher risk of liver cancer, particularly with bad FibroScan results indicating cirrhosis, MRI, CT, and ultrasound imaging are used to detect cancer.

Preparing for a FibroScan scan is relatively simple, however, it is crucial to follow some basic instructions to ensure the test goes smoothly and the results are accurate. Here are some tips to help you prepare:

1. Please avoid a heavy meal 4 hours before your appointment and drink plenty of water during this time.
2. Wear comfortable clothing during the appointment, as you will need to remove clothing around the abdomen to perform the FibroScan.
3. Please avoid alcohol on the day of your appointment.

During the procedure, a gel is applied to the skin, and a small probe known as the FibroScan machine is placed over the liver area to send sound waves in a method called FibroScan transient elastography that measures tissue stiffness. The test takes about 10–15 minutes and is generally painless.

Depending on the results of the FibroScan, the consultant may request further diagnostic tests or provide a management plan to support the individual. Once you have your FibroScan results, your clinician will discuss the FibroScan interpretation and outline follow-up or treatment as needed. A follow-up may also be required to monitor disease progression or complications.

A FibroScan is a specialised test that measures liver stiffness to assess liver damage or scarring, using sound waves to evaluate fibrosis levels. It’s a non-invasive test and is used for liver health assessment and monitoring. On the other hand, an ultrasound is a more general imaging technique that uses sound waves to create images of internal organs, helping detect tumours or mass lesions. While both are non-invasive tests, FibroScan provides a numeric stiffness score often shown on a FibroScan results chart with a known FibroScan normal range, whereas ultrasound gives real-time images of organs for a wider range of diagnoses.