FibroScan / liver elastography

FibroScan (vibration-controlled transient elastography, VCTE) measures liver stiffness in kilopascals (kPa) by propagating a low-frequency shear wave through hepatic tissue and tracking its velocity via ultrasound, with stiffer tissue reflecting more advanced fibrosis. Validated cut-offs range from approximately 7–8 kPa for significant fibrosis (F2) to >12–14 kPa for cirrhosis, though values are influenced by inflammation, congestion, food intake and BMI. In metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD, formerly NAFLD) — now the commonest cause of chronic liver disease globally — VCTE is endorsed as a non-invasive alternative to biopsy for fibrosis staging and longitudinal monitoring, avoiding both sampling error and procedural risk. The controlled attenuation parameter (CAP), measured simultaneously on modern devices, quantifies hepatic steatosis in dB/m and enables a single-visit assessment of both fat content and fibrosis stage.