Fibroscan now available in Croatia

FibroScan®, a device that painlessly, non-invasively performs ultrasound scan that measures the 'elasticity' or stiffness of the liver, thus determing a degree of liver tissue damage, will be available to the ill in Croatia, significantly thanks to the Hepatos Association and their efforts of year and a half ago.

In January of the current year, two devices were acquired and will be available for patients in two Referral Centres of the Ministry of Health:

- Referral Centre of the Ministry of Health for Chronic Liver Diseases in the Clinical Centre Rebro
- Referral Centre for Diagnostics and viral hepatitis treatment and the Viral Clinic dr. Fran Mihaljevic - Zagreb

Although liver biopsy is still considered to be the golden standard for liver examination in chronic liver diseases, today we have a few less painful methods.

One of them is elastrography. Studies have shown that damaged liver becomes stiff and less elastic in years. Using the ultrasound, a Fibroscan® quantifies liver's elasticity thus determining a degree of liver damage.

The device, considerably reminding on the classic ultra-sound device, thanks to the Hepatos was presented in Croatia in Sibenik during the 6th Croatian Congress on Viral Diseases for the first time, immediately gaining huge interest from patients and specialists; hepatologists and virologists, alike.

Aiming to contribute to ensuring of equal rights on diagnostics and treatment in Croatia, and simultaneously encouraging a multidisciplinary way of treatment, which is in accordance with the Resolution on Fights against Viral hepatitis, the Hepatos will advocate acquiring a few more devices, so that those would become available in other parts of our country.

Elastography is an alternative for liver biopsy, a non-invasive method of liver tissue damage degree assessment. Measuring a LF sound wave that moves along a liver, this test measures its speed which correlates with a liver fibrosis degree. The more dense (more fibrotic) tissue is, the speed increases. This test uses ultra-sound technology and thanks to that is – quick and painless. The main disadvantage is that it doesn’t work in patients with ascites or who are overweight/obese.