Hepatic fibrosis is the process of changes in the architecture of the liver at the level of the hepatocytes, that is, they are the changes that progressively cause a scar in the liver, modifying its architecture and hardness, cirrhosis being the extreme of fibrosis.

The factors that can cause fibrosis are multiple, the best known being alcohol, hepatitis virus, fat in the liver and chronic inflammatory processes.

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Can it be measured?

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Yes, fibrosis can be measured through invasive and non-invasive methods. The invasive ones refer to the performance of a liver biopsy, while the non-invasive ones are procedures in blood or through ultrasound.

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What are the risks of a liver biopsy?

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Liver biopsy is a procedure that is complicated in 1 to 2% of cases, the main problems being bleeding at the puncture site, pain, damage to the pleura, or lesser gallbladder puncture.

It is generally done under local anesthesia and with ultrasonographic follow-up, the most precise indication of which is doubt in the diagnosis of liver damage.

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What are non-invasive methods to measure fibrosis?

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They are methods without risk, hence the name non-invasive, and that can give precise information on the degree of fibrosis that the patient may present. There are in blood and through ultrasound.

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What is the fibroscan?

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It is a non-invasive method of measuring liver fibrosis through ultrasonographic waves, which reflect the degree of liver hardness, which translates into fibrosis. Its main indication is precisely in the diagnosis and monitoring of it.

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