title: Prediction of compensated liver cirrhosis by ultrasonography and routine blood tests in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Liver biopsy is a standard method for diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis. Because liver biopsy is an invasive method, non-invasive methods have been used for diagnosis of compensated liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic hepatitis. The current study was designed to evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography and routine blood tests for diagnosis of compensated liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Two hundred three patients with chronic viral hepatitis who underwent liver biopsy were included in this study and ultrasonography and routine blood tests were analyzed retrospectively. Ultrasonographic findings, including surface nodularity, parenchyma echogenecity, and spleen size, were evaluated. The diagnostic accuracy of ultrasonography and routine blood tests were examined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Discriminant analysis with forward stepwise selection of variables showed that liver surface nodularity, platelet count, and albumin level were independently associated with compensated liver cirrhosis (p<0.05). Cross-tabulation revealed that the following 4 variables had >95% specificity: platelet count <100,000 /uL; albumin level <3.5 g/dL; INR >1.3; and surface nodularity. If at least one of the four variables exists in a patient with chronic viral hepatitis, we can predict liver cirrhosis with 90% specificity and 61% sensitivity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results suggest that four variables (platelet count <100,000 /uL, albumin level <3.5 g/dL, INR >1.3, and surface nodularity) can be used for identification of liver cirrhosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis with high specificity.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology, Ajou University School of Medicine, Suwon, Korea.
authors.forename: Hong Sub
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Jai Keun
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Jae Youn
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Cheong
authors.forename: Eun Jin
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: So Yeon
authors.initials: SY
authors.lastname: An
authors.forename: Jun Ha
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Yun Jung
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Sung Chan
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Jeon
authors.forename: Min Wook
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Eun Jung
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Sung Won
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Cho
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D019540:Area Under Curve; D016002:Discriminant Analysis; D005260:Female; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D010976:Platelet Count; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D012709:Serum Albumin