Well, I'm going to shoot my gastro doc an email and ask him point blank; I can accept either good news or bad, just need accurate news.
Cinnamon Girl said
Mar 3, 2012
Hi hrstrdr, that sounds like a good plan. An ultrasound scan can detect abnormalities on the surface of your liver which can indicate cirrhosis, they are not just for detecting tumours. As Brad said, a much more detailed diagnosis can be made by having a biopsy.
Everyone with Hep C will have a certain amount of liver inflammation, and that can be picked up by your routine liver function tests, but that certainly doesn`t mean you have cirrhosis.
Hope you get some clarification from your gastro doctor.
Best of luck, Jill xx
-- Edited by Cinnamon Girl on Saturday 3rd of March 2012 06:21:33 PM
krowdog said
Mar 3, 2012
The only definitive way to diagnose cirrhosis is via liver biopsy (In the absence of direct, gross, later stage symptoms like varices, acites, portal hypertension, etc.)
From The American Acadamy of Family Physicians":
"Cirrhosis often is an indolent disease; most patients remain asymptomatic until the occurrence of decompensation, characterized by ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic encephalopathy, or variceal bleeding from portal hypertension...No serologic or radiographic test can accurately diagnose cirrhosis."
I opted for the biopsy, as it changes the "response guided therapy" times (for the Incivek triple TX, at least). I wanted to go into TX with every advantage at my disposal. If you are a previous non-responder, it wouldn't make any difference, as you would have to do the full 48 week treatment anyway (This is for Geno 1 only, by the way.)
Good luck Hrsetrdr,
Brad
(Geno 1a, Incivek triple TX, UND @ 4,8,12,16 wks. In week 20 of 24)
-- Edited by krowdog on Saturday 3rd of March 2012 10:37:57 PM
Iris Dragonfly said
Mar 2, 2012
I would think they should be able to tell if there are signs in a ultra sound,
hrsetrdr said
Mar 2, 2012
Bump for edited post.
hrsetrdr said
Mar 1, 2012
For some time now it has been my understanding that have I had cirrohsis,
however, just today my case manager advised that my liver is inflammed but no cirrohsis is evident...
My labs are within "normal' range", and I've had a couple of ultrasound scans, but Ithe doctor has said that the scans are only for detecting cancer.
I have not had(and am not going to have) any liver biopsies.
I don't recall who told me that I had cirrohsis, and hearing that I 'merely' have inflammation is good news(if accurate), but I would like to know:
How is cirrohsis diagnosed? Can such a diagnosis be made without a liver biopsy?
-- Edited by hrsetrdr on Friday 2nd of March 2012 02:09:08 PM
Well, I'm going to shoot my gastro doc an email and ask him point blank; I can accept either good news or bad, just need accurate news.
Hi hrstrdr, that sounds like a good plan. An ultrasound scan can detect abnormalities on the surface of your liver which can indicate cirrhosis, they are not just for detecting tumours. As Brad said, a much more detailed diagnosis can be made by having a biopsy.
Everyone with Hep C will have a certain amount of liver inflammation, and that can be picked up by your routine liver function tests, but that certainly doesn`t mean you have cirrhosis.
Hope you get some clarification from your gastro doctor.
Best of luck, Jill xx
-- Edited by Cinnamon Girl on Saturday 3rd of March 2012 06:21:33 PM
The only definitive way to diagnose cirrhosis is via liver biopsy (In the absence of direct, gross, later stage symptoms like varices, acites, portal hypertension, etc.)
From The American Acadamy of Family Physicians":
"Cirrhosis often is an indolent disease; most patients remain asymptomatic until the occurrence of decompensation, characterized by ascites, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic encephalopathy, or variceal bleeding from portal hypertension...No serologic or radiographic test can accurately diagnose cirrhosis."
I opted for the biopsy, as it changes the "response guided therapy" times (for the Incivek triple TX, at least). I wanted to go into TX with every advantage at my disposal. If you are a previous non-responder, it wouldn't make any difference, as you would have to do the full 48 week treatment anyway (This is for Geno 1 only, by the way.)
Good luck Hrsetrdr,
Brad
(Geno 1a, Incivek triple TX, UND @ 4,8,12,16 wks. In week 20 of 24)
-- Edited by krowdog on Saturday 3rd of March 2012 10:37:57 PM
I would think they should be able to tell if there are signs in a ultra sound,
For some time now it has been my understanding that have I had cirrohsis,
however, just today my case manager advised that my liver is inflammed but no cirrohsis is evident...
My labs are within "normal' range", and I've had a couple of ultrasound scans, but Ithe doctor has said that the scans are only for detecting cancer.
I have not had(and am not going to have) any liver biopsies.
I don't recall who told me that I had cirrohsis, and hearing that I 'merely' have inflammation is good news(if accurate), but I would like to know:
How is cirrohsis diagnosed? Can such a diagnosis be made without a liver biopsy?
-- Edited by hrsetrdr on Friday 2nd of March 2012 02:09:08 PM