title: Using Ultrasonic Transient Elastometry (FibroScan) to Predict Esophageal Varices in Patients with Viral Liver Cirrhosis.
abstract: The correlation between liver stiffness (LS), measured by ultrasonic transient elastometry (FibroScan), and the presence and severity of esophageal varices (EV) in patients with viral cirrhosis of the liver has not been well documented to date. The study described here investigated the value of using FibroScan to predict EV. Patients with cirrhosis (200 patients: 167 cases caused by hepatitis B virus and 33 cases caused by hepatitis C virus) underwent both upper gastrointestinal endoscopy and FibroScan. Demographic, clinical, biochemical and endoscopic data and FibroScan-obtained LS parameters were collected. The mean LS value in patients with EV (33.2 kPa) was significantly higher than the mean LS value in patients without EV (18.6 kPa) (p < 0.05). The mean LS value in patients with grade 2 and 3 EV (38.3 kPa) was significantly higher than that in patients with grade 1 EV (24.8 kPa) (p < 0.05). Overall, FibroScan was 86.4% sensitive and 72.2% specific in predicting the presence of EV, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUROC) of 0.84. The sensitivity and specificity for the patients with grade 2 or 3 EV were 84% and 73% (AUROC = 0.86). When FibroScan was combined with platelet count, the overall sensitivity and specificity of prediction increased to 84% and 80% (AUROC = 0.88), respectively, and 84% and 75% (AUROC = 0.89), respectively, in patients with grade 2 and 3 EV. FibroScan alone or combined with platelet count might predict the presence and severity of EV in patients with hepatitis B or C-related viral cirrhosis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhongwei
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Department of Gastroenterology Hepatology, Guangzhou First People's Hospital, Guangzhou Medical University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Yuyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chuo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Chunming
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Zhitao
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ou
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Jiawei
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Hongbin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Institute for Infectious Diseases, Guangzhou No. 8 People's Hospital, Guangzhou, China. Electronic address: xiaopingtangcn@163.com.
authors.forename: Xiaoping
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004932:Esophageal and Gastric Varices / Q000150:complications* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D004947:Esophagus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000821:virology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications* / Q000821:virology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012372:ROC Curve; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity
keywords: Esophageal varices; FibroScan; Liver cirrhosis; Transient elastography