Comparison of Liver Elastography by ARFI and the Serological Indices APRI and FIB-4 in the Non-Invasive Assessment of LiverFibrosis in Adults
Keywords:
Liver fibrosis, elastography, ARFI, APRI, FIB-4Abstract
Liver fibrosis is the main prognostic determinant of chronic liver diseases. Liver biopsy, although considered the gold standard, has limitations that have driven the development of non-invasive methods such as liver elastography and serological indices. Objective: To compare acoustic pulse force elastography (ARFI) with the serological indices APRI and FIB-4 in the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis. Methods: Observational, descriptive, retrospective, and cross-sectional study conducted in adults using ARFI liver elastography and laboratory tests for calculating APRI and FIB-4, performed no more than 30 days apart. Descriptive statistics and normality tests were applied. Results: Ninety-two patients were included, with a mean age of 58.7 ± 13 years; 55.4% were male. The mean liver stiffness measured by ARFI was 6.62 kPa. Most patients were classified into minimal or mild fibrosis stages using all three methods evaluated, with no significant differences according to sex. Conclusions: ARFI liver elastography and the APRI and FIB-4 indices show clinical agreement useful for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis, constituting complementary tools in clinical practice.
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