Liver Awareness Campaign

• A liver scan may be done to check for diseases such as liver cancer, hepatitis, or cirrhosis. Lesions such as tumors, abscesses, or cysts of the liver or spleen may be seen on a liver scan. A liver scan may be done to assess the condition of the liver and/or spleen after trauma to the abdomen or when there is unexplained pain in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. Enlargement of the liver or spleen may be seen on a liver scan.

A liver scan may also be used to assess response to therapy for liver disease and to monitor the course of liver disease. Portal hypertension (elevated blood pressure within the liver’s circulation) may be detected with a liver scan when the spleen rather than the liver absorbs more radionuclides.

Detailed scan of:

• Liver
• Biliary ducts
• Gallbladder
• Liver Vasculature

A liver ultrasound scan is a commonly used diagnostic tool for the detection of liver disease and abnormalities. The test uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of the liver, which can be used to identify a wide range of issues, including:

1. Fatty Liver: An ultrasound scan can detect the presence of excess fat within the liver, which can be a sign of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD).
2. Cirrhosis: An ultrasound scan can detect scarring or nodules within the liver, which can be an indication of cirrhosis, a late-stage liver disease.
3. Tumors: An ultrasound scan can detect the presence of tumors within the liver, which can be benign or malignant.
4. Blood Flow: An ultrasound scan can also evaluate blood flow within the liver, which can be affected by liver disease.
5. Liver Enlargement: This can be a sign of pathological conditions.

• Fibroscan is a special ultrasound that is used to detect the stiffness of the liver and measure scarring (fibrosis) and fatty changes (steatosis) in your liver. The results of the scan help find early signs of liver damage that might not be noticed otherwise. It is a non-invasive test, used to determine the health of a liver.  Fibroscan test uses the ultrasound technique to look for any scar on the liver. 

Liver elastography procedures help your doctor determine the severity of hepatic fibrosis in patients with chronic liver disease.  In particular, the shear wave elastography of the liver (also known as FibroScan) can also help determine if an HCV patient does or does not have advanced fibrosis/cirrhosis, which can assist with treatment decisions regarding the need for oral antiviral therapy, liver cancer surveillance, etc. 

Some doctors also obtain serial liver elastography measurements once a year to see if the liver disease is improving or worsening over time. Hepatitis B, and C, fatty liver disease, autoimmune hepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease are just a few of the chronic liver illnesses that can cause tissue damage and scar tissue formation. The liver loses some of its elasticity and flexibility as scar tissue accumulates. Liver shear wave elastography can detect these changes and help grade the liver damage according to the tissue elasticity.

Liver fibrosis/cirrhosis is a common endpoint for viral, autoimmune, drug-induced, and alcoholic liver disease and can be evaluated by shear wave elastography of the liver.