Liver Elastography Results Interpretation
Your Results Indicate a Healthy Liver
Your liver stiffness measurement of 4.43 kPa is well within the normal range and indicates no significant liver fibrosis or disease. 1
Understanding Your Measurements
Liver Stiffness (4.43 kPa)
- This value is substantially below all clinical thresholds for liver disease across all etiologies. 1, 2
- For context, significant fibrosis typically begins at 7.1-8.8 kPa depending on the underlying condition 3
- Cirrhosis is diagnosed at much higher values: 11.0 kPa for chronic hepatitis B, 12.5 kPa for alcoholic liver disease, and 12.5-14.6 kPa for hepatitis C 3
- Your measurement of 4.43 kPa places you in the normal/minimal fibrosis category (F0-F1) 4
Shear Wave Velocity (1.21 m/sec)
- This represents the speed at which ultrasound waves travel through your liver tissue 1
- The velocity correlates directly with tissue stiffness—faster waves indicate stiffer tissue 1
- Your velocity of 1.21 m/sec is within the normal range (normal reference is approximately 1.5 m/sec or lower) 1
Quality Indicators (IQR: 0.18, IQR/Med Vel: 0.15)
Both quality metrics confirm this is an excellent, highly reliable measurement. 3, 5
- IQR/Median ratio of 0.15 is well below the 0.30 threshold, indicating very low variability between individual measurements 3, 5
- According to validated reliability criteria, your results fall into the "very reliable" category (IQR/M ≤0.30) 5
- Studies demonstrate that measurements with IQR/M ≤0.30 correctly classify 85.8-90.4% of patients for fibrosis staging 5
- The low variability (IQR: 0.18) confirms consistent, reproducible measurements across all readings 6
Clinical Implications
Risk Assessment
- You are at very low risk for any liver-related complications 1
- Your liver stiffness is below all thresholds associated with portal hypertension, esophageal varices, or clinically significant liver disease 1
- No screening endoscopy for varices is needed at this stiffness level 7
- No liver biopsy is indicated, as your noninvasive testing clearly demonstrates normal liver health 1, 2
What This Means for You
- Your liver appears structurally normal without significant scarring (fibrosis) 4
- If you have risk factors for liver disease (obesity, diabetes, alcohol use, viral hepatitis), these results suggest they have not yet caused measurable liver damage 7
- This measurement provides a reliable baseline for future monitoring if needed 8
Important Caveats
Factors That Can Falsely Elevate Readings
Be aware that certain conditions can artificially increase liver stiffness measurements, though your results are so clearly normal that this is unlikely to be relevant: 3, 1
- Recent food intake within 2-3 hours before the test 3, 1
- Acute hepatitis or active liver inflammation 3, 1
- Recent alcohol consumption 3, 1
- Extrahepatic cholestasis (bile duct obstruction) 3, 1
- Congestive heart failure 3, 1
- Amyloidosis 1
When to Repeat Testing
- If you have ongoing risk factors for liver disease (metabolic syndrome, alcohol use, viral hepatitis), consider repeat elastography in 12 months to ensure stability 1, 7
- If you have no risk factors and normal liver enzymes, no routine follow-up elastography is necessary 7
- Repeat testing is warranted if you develop new symptoms or abnormal liver blood tests 7
Next Steps
No immediate action is required based on these results. 1 Your liver health appears excellent, and the measurement quality is optimal for clinical decision-making. If you have underlying conditions that could affect your liver, continue managing those appropriately with your healthcare provider.