Reproducibility of liver stiffness measurement by ultrasonographic elastometry.

Background & Aims: Fibroscan is a noninvasive device that assesses liver fibrosis by liver stiffness evaluation (LSE) with ultrasonographic elastometry. We evaluated LSE reproducibility and its influencing factors.

Methods: LSE was performed by 4 experienced physicians (>100 LSEs) in 46 patients with chronic liver disease at 4 different anatomic sites.

Learning curve and interobserver reproducibility evaluation of liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography.

Background/aims: Fibroscan allows liver stiffness examination (LSE) that is well correlated with fibrosis stages. Our main objective was to evaluate LSE learning curve.

Methods: LSE results of five novice observers with different medical status were compared with those of five expert observers (physicians with >100 examinations) in 250 patients with chronic liver disease.

Reproducibility of blood tests of liver fibrosis in clinical practice.

Objectives: To evaluate the inter-laboratory reproducibility of blood test for liver fibrosis: FibroMeter, Fibrotest, APRI and their composites variables.

Design And Methods: Four studies, including 147 patients, were performed: study #1 included 2 metachronous blood samples and 2 laboratories; studies #2, #3 and #4 included synchronous samples with assays delayed at day 1 in 12 laboratories, at day 0 in 10 laboratories and at day 0 or 1 in 2 laboratories, respectively. Agreement was evaluated by the intraclass correlation coefficient (r(ic)).

[Bleeding from rectal varices in a patient with severe decompensated cirrhosis: success of endoscopic band ligation. A case report and review of the literature].

In patients with cirrhosis, portal hypertension can be complicated by bleeding rectal varices. Treatment of bleeding rectal varices is not well established because clinical therapeutic trials are scarce in the literature and there are only a few case reports. In most cases, first line treatment is endoscopic (band ligation or sclerotherapy) and in case of failure or rebleeding, portosystemic shunts are the second line treatment.

Diagnostic accuracy of magnifying chromoendoscopy with detection of intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia using acetic acid in Barrett's esophagus.

Objectives: Endoscopy with systematic randomized biopsies aims to improve the detection of intestinal metaplasia (IM) and dysplasia in Barrett's esophagus (BE). Magnifying chromoendoscopy with alcoholic acetic acid might allow directed biopsies to improve detection of IM and dysplasia.

Patients And Methods: Twenty-eight patients were studied with magnifying chromoendoscopy (Optical power zoom x 115, alcoholic acetic acid).