Non-invasive liver fibrosis assessment: is transient elastography mandatory?

Real-time elastography (RTE) is a conventional ultrasonography-based liver stiffness assessment technique developed in chronic viral hepatitis. Evidence of its applicability in other aetiologies is lacking. This study aims to determine RTE diagnostic accuracy for advanced fibrosis in compensated chronic liver disease (cCLD) and to compare it with the biochemical scores FIB-4 and APRI, using transient elastography (TE) as the gold standard. A single center cross-sectional study including cCLD patients was conducted. RTE with assessment of Liver Fibrosis Index and TE were performed in the same day by different operators blind to the other technique result. The scores FIB-4 and APRI were calculated. Fibrosis cut-off values were inferred from previous evidence.