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If you liver/gastrointestinal ultrasound is normal why is a Fibroscan needed?

A myPBCteam Member asked a question 💭
Glasgow, UK
July 27
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A myPBCteam Member

@A myPBCteam Member it was explained to me that the ALP and liver enzyme levels from the blood tests explain the currently activity happening to your liver - the level of inflammation / irritation etc now, whereas the fibroscan shows the liver scarring that you liver has from activity that happened in the past.

So you can have scarring from past with a high number from the fibroscan but the low alp levels showing that the current activity is well managing the inflammatory ‘fire’ as it were.

July 30
myPBCteam

Great question! A regular ultrasound and a FibroScan actually measure different things, which is why both can be useful even when the ultrasound looks normal.

A standard ultrasound checks the structure of your liver — looking for things like blockages, abnormal growths, or visible changes in the organ's appearance. It's a Show Full Answer

Great question! A regular ultrasound and a FibroScan actually measure different things, which is why both can be useful even when the ultrasound looks normal.

A standard ultrasound checks the structure of your liver — looking for things like blockages, abnormal growths, or visible changes in the organ's appearance. It's a broad overview.

A FibroScan, on the other hand, measures something a standard ultrasound can't — liver stiffness. It does this by sending sound waves through the liver and measuring how quickly they pass through. Stiffer liver tissue means more scarring (fibrosis), which is an early sign of cirrhosis. With PBC, liver scarring can be developing even when a regular ultrasound appears completely normal. That's why a FibroScan gives a more detailed picture of what's happening at a tissue level.

As one myPBCteam member shared, their doctor felt a FibroScan provides more information than even a biopsy, because it checks a larger area of the liver and is completely noninvasive.

So think of it this way — a regular ultrasound is like looking at the outside of a building, while a FibroScan checks the structural integrity of the walls. Both matter! Always check with your healthcare team about how often they recommend monitoring.

July 27
A myPBCteam Member

Thank you Pippa, that does make sense.x

July 30
A myPBCteam Member

I had my fibrosis scan and all the results were extremely high value from April to June even though my alkine phosphate was down to 211. What does that mean?

July 28

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