Editorial
Copyright ©2007 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2007; 13(32): 4287-4294
Published online Aug 28, 2007. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v13.i32.4287
Noninvasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis in chronic hepatitis C
Rudolf E Stauber, Carolin Lackner
Rudolf E Stauber, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Carolin Lackner, Institute of Pathology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria
Author contributions: All authors contributed equally to the work.
Correspondence to: Rudolf E Stauber, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Medical University of Graz, Auenbruggerplatz 15, A-8036 Graz, Austria. rudolf.stauber@meduni-graz.at
Telephone: +43-316-3854388 Fax: +43-316-3852648
Received: April 18, 2007
Revised: April 19, 2007
Accepted: April 20, 2007
Published online: August 28, 2007
Abstract

Assessment of hepatic fibrosis is important for determining prognosis, guiding management decisions, and monitoring disease. Histological evaluation of liver biopsy specimens is currently considered the reference test for staging hepatic fibrosis. Since liver biopsy carries a small but significant risk, noninvasive tests to assess hepatic fibrosis are desirable. This editorial gives an overview on noninvasive methods currently available to determine hepatic fibrosis and their diagnostic accuracy for predicting significant fibrosis and cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis C. Based on available data, the performance of simple tests derived from routine laboratory parameters appears to be similar to that of more complex and expensive fibrosis panels. Transient elastography seems more accurate than blood tests for diagnosing cirrhosis.

Keywords: Noninvasive fibrosis tests; Significant fibrosis; Cirrhosis; Biomarkers; Transient elastography