A first for Queensland

Fibroscan, a technique for measuring the degree of liver fibrosis has arrived in Queensland and is available at Greenslopes Private Hospital. Fibroscan can be used to measure liver stiffness, a surrogate for liver fibrosis in patients with chronic viral hepatitis (B & C), fatty liver disease, alcoholic liver disease, haemochromatosis and fibrotic drug effects (eg. Methotrexate). The device provides an alternative to liver biopsy as a measure of the extent of liver fibrosis and, particularly, the presence of cirrhosis.

Professor Darrell Crawford, Director of the Gallipoli Medical Research Centre Liver Research Unit and Dr Katherine Stuart will conduct Fibroscan testing which takes approximately 5-10 minutes and is entirely non-invasive. Fibroscan utilises Transient Elastography (TE), a novel approach to measuring liver stiffness which is a surrogate for liver fibrosis. Fibroscan has been extensively studied in Europe and the USA as an alternative to liver biopsy to measure liver fibrosis.

The acquisition of the first Fibroscan in Queensland provides outstanding opportunities for research studies in the Liver Research Unit. A research assistant will be employed to assist in data collection and analysis related to Fibroscan.

Proposed research studies are:

•  The Prevalence of Fibrosis in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

•  Progression of Fibrosis in Patients with Recurrent Liver Disease Following Liver transplantation

•  The Reversibility of Fibrosis in Response to Therapeutic Interventions.

For more information about Fibroscan, please phone Professor Crawford on (07) 3324 1500 or Dr Stuart on (07) 3847 8488.