Liver Disease

The symptoms of liver disease are fatigue, poor appetite, jaundice, dark color urine, clay-colored bowel movement and upper abdominal pain or discomfort.

Common chronic liver diseases include viral hepatitis (hepatitis B virus or hepatitis C virus), alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver, drug-induced hepatitis. Other rare chronic liver diseases are autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, Wilson’s disease and hereditary hemochromatosis, etc.

Liver Fibrosis

Liver fibrosis is a healing response in which fibrous tissue is deposited in damaged liver. In the early stage, this process is reversible. However, if the injury to the liver is continuous, liver will gradually develop cirrhosis after months or years. By measuring the degree of fibrosis, doctor can diagnose whether patient is suffering from cirrhosis.

In the past, liver biopsy is the only way to accurately assess the degree of liver fibrosis and to diagnose cirrhosis. However, liver biopsy is an invasive procedure and there is a small risk of bleeding or puncture of other viscera. FibroScan® is a machine that can measure the degree of liver fibrosis. This measurement is painless and safe because it is non-invasive. FibroScan® is proven to be useful in measuring liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B, chronic hepatitis C and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.