Transient Elastography: From Research to Noninvasive Assessment of Liver Fibrosis Using Fibroscan®

This chapter presents the principles of transient elastography. It focuses on Fibroscan device and the clinical review of its applications to liver diseases. The chapter discusses the applications of transient elastography. Transient elastography yielded the development of an average stiffness measurement method referred as 1D transient elastography. The technique relies on a single element ultrasound transducer and a mechanical actuator. 1D transient elastography was successfully applied to in vivo measurement of liver stiffness. Several probes are being used with FibroScan depending on the patient morphology. Liver stiffness measurement has been shown to have utility beyond the assessment of liver fibrosis stage. Esophageal varices (EV) represent one of the most severe complications of cirrhosis. The performances of spleen stiffness measurement were assessed with a modified FibroScan in order to detect the presence of significant EV in cirrhotic patients.