What is the benefit of Liver Elastography (ARFI)?
- Detection – Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps in detection of the focal lesions in liver like Cysts, Abscess, Hemangiomas, Hepatoma, Solitary Metastasis etc.
- Quantification Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps to quantify extent of tissue damage e.g. extent of fibrosis in alcoholics and HBV patients.
Why I should go for Liver Elastography?
- Most of the chronic liver diseases lead to change in Liver stiffness (elasticity), depending on the stiffness medically it is called as fatty liver, fibrous liver and cirrhotic liver.
- In this fatty liver and early stage of fibrosis is reversible while late fibrosis and cirrhotic stage is irreversible.
- In people suffering from chronic liver disease fibrosis staging is the key factor in determining liver health.
- Staging is currently done by a single core needle biopsy; it is not well tolerated and has its own limitations.
- In liver disease if no intervention is done timely, disease will culminate in a condition called ‘cirrhosis’ an irreversible damage to liver tissue.
- Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps to stage the early changes of fibrosis which will guide further treatment and appropriate measures to halt or reverse the condition.
- Liver Elastography (ARFI) also helps in prevention of Liver diseases by successfully imaging even the chronic diseases in “Latent period”.
Please remember, this is just a preventive measure. Opting for Liver Elastography (ARFI) does not mean that you have a cancer.
Liver Elastography (ARFI) is safe, highly accurate and also the most important tool a physician has, to diagnose, evaluate and follow up liver condition. As a result unnecessary painful and risky biopsies can be avoided.
Who should go for Liver Elastography(ARFI)?
Any individual associated with any one or more risk factors from the list below, should go for Liver Elastography (ARFI)
- Alcoholic
- Alcoholic Liver Diseases
- Non-alcoholic liver cirrhosis (NASH)
- Viral Hepatitis
- Hepatitis C (HCV)
- HIV/HBV Co-infection
- Biliary Fibrosis and related chronic cholestatic disease
- If you have first-degree relatives affected with Liver Cancer
- Post treatment follow-up in reversible liver diseases
Importance of Liver Elastography (ARFI) for Chronic Alcoholics
People with habit of regular alcohol consumption are called as chronic alcoholics. In chronic alcoholics, the liver may be damaged and progress to a stage called “Irreversible fibrosis”.
The fibrotic stage of liver is reversible. Fibrotic stage can be prevented if detected early in the course disease through proper treatment and change in lifestyle. If no intervention is done timely, disease will culminate in a condition called “Cirrhosis” an irreversible damage to liver tissue.
Liver Elastography (ARFI) helps in knowing the status of liver in a chronic alcoholic particularly in symptomatic conditions like
- Itching,
- Jaundice,
- Nausea or
- Vomiting,
- Loss of appetite,
- Clay colored stool,
- Ascites (protruding abdomen filled with fluid).
Accurate imaging services help your physician through Liver Elastography (ARFI) in better patient management and treatment.
Is there any side effect of Liver Elastography (ARFI)?
Liver Elastography (ARFI) is absolutely
- Safe
- Painless
- Accurate
- Non-invasive examination
Like conventional ultrasound Liver Elastography (ARFI) is a very safe test. It uses the ultrasound principle of pulse detection and with mould of technology this information is converted into an electoral image.
Procedure and Preparation details:
No special preparation required for Liver Elastography (ARFI) and you should come for examination at centre with empty stomach fasting at least 6 hours.
Liver Facts
- The liver is the largest internal and most metabolically complex organ in humans.
- The liver performs over 500 different functions including fighting off infection, neutralizing toxins, manufacturing proteins and hormones, controlling blood sugar and helping to clot the blood.
- The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself thus making it possible for one person to donate part of their liver to another person. When a portion of the liver is transplanted, the donor’s liver will regenerate back to its original size while the transplanted portion will grow to the appropriate size for the recipient.
- At any one time, the liver contains about 10% of the blood in your body and it pumps about 1.4 litres per minute.
