Non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis using real-time tissue elastography in patients with chronic hepatitis B

Aim To evaluate the utility of the elastic ratio calculated using real-time tissue elastography for assessing liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB). Materials and methods Ninety-six patients with CHB were enrolled between September 2012 and August 2013. The elastic ratio of the liver for the intrahepatic venous small vessel was calculated to measure liver stiffness. Diagnostic performance of the elastic ratio and aminotransferase–to–platelet ratio index (APRI) were compared with histological fibrosis stage at liver biopsy. In addition, 45 healthy adult volunteers were participated in intra- and interobserver reliability studies. Results There was no significant influence of hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) status or hepatitis B virus DNA levels on the elastic ratio measurements in CHB patients. The elastic ratio was significantly correlated with histological fibrosis stage ( r = 0.873, p