EVALUATION OF FIBROSIS STAGE IN CHRONIC LIVER DISEASE BY USE OF LOW AND HIGH FREQUENCY ULTRASOUND AND ITS COMPARISON WITH HISTOPATHOLOGY

The stage of brosis is a key factor in dening the prognosis and management of chronic liver diseases with a viral infection. The gold standard for the diagnosis of the brosis stage has been a histological liver evaluation based on specimens taken either by a needle biopsy or at operation. Aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of the liver brosis stage by utilizing the techniques of advanced ultrasound in patients with chronic liver disease as an non- invasive and reliable alternative to the histological staging in chronic liver diseases by biopsy. Ultrasound assessment for parameters of liver edge, liver surface regularity and parenchymal echotexture using high and low frequency transducers and resultant scoring system depending on the severity of ndings was undertaken. Finally, a cumulative score was assigned by adding the individual ultrasound score of the three parameters. Subsequently, comparison with the histopathological grade of brosis present in each case was carried out. Statistical analysis showed that the parameters of liver edge, surface irregularity, parenchymal echotexture and the cumulative ultrasound score showed sensitivity reaching upto 100% in detecting upto early stages of brosis. The specicity of all these parameters except for parenchymal echotexture ranged from 77.7% to 83.3.%. Also, the negative predictive value of these parameters was reaching upto 100% indicating the role of ultrasound in predicting absence of brosis in patients with accuracy at par with histopathology.