value of fibroscan as a non-invasive predictor of large esophageal varices in cirrhotic patients

ABSTRACT

Periodic endoscopic screening for esophageal varices [EV] is recommended in patients with cirrhosis, but might be limited to a subgroup of patients if a simple non-invasive test was available to select those at risk of bleeding. To assess the value of Fibroscan as a simple non-invasive test for selecting patients with cirrhosis at risk of bearing large EV. In 50 patients with cirrhosis, we studied the relation between the presence and grading of esophageal varices as assessed by endoscopy and liver stiffness measurement by Fibroscan, a non-invasive parameter related to liver fibrosis. Receiver operator characteristic curve was used to identify the best cut-off point for liver stiffness measurement. The identified best cut-off point for liver stiffness measurement [LSM] was 20.90 with sensitivity 71.4% and specificity 66.6% for prediction of the presence of esophageal varices while for prediction of the presence of large varices, the best cut off value was 26.00 with sensitivity 80% and specificity 60%. LSM is of higher diagnostic value in predicting the presence of large esophageal varices in patients with cirrhosis. and may help to select patients for endoscopic screening