Use of Fibroscan Liver Elastography in the Rapid Diagnosis and Monitoring of MASLD Treatment

Steatohepatitis associated with metabolic dysfunction is the most common chronic liver disease worldwide, usually detected incidentally and affecting nearly 30% of the adult population and nearly 10% of the child population.It is one of the leading causes of hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhosis and liver transplantation in developed countries.It is also a significant factor in the development of cardiovascular disease, which is the leading cause of death in this group of patients.It is estimated that the number of patients with MASLD could double by 2030.Its long-standing asymptomatic nature means that at the time of diagnosis it is usually an advanced disease, with advanced liver fibrosis, and it is not uncommon for the diagnosis to be made at the stage of cirrhosis or liver cancer or extrahepatic complications.Hence, non-invasive diagnostic methods are still being sought that will detect minimal steatosis of the hepatocytes, still in the subclinical phase in patients at risk -obesity, pre-diabetes or type 2 diabetes, lipid disorders or hypertension -faster than classic ultrasound.Such tools include FibroScan liver elastography, which enables the detection of hepatic steatosis at its early stage and the assessment of liver fibrosis.It is also used to monitor treatment and estimate possible complications.It can also be used in the paediatric population.This paper discusses the feasibility of Fibro Scan as a diagnostic and treatment monitoring tool for MASLD, its advantages, potential disadvantages, how the test can be performed and interpreted, and the use of specialised scales based on the FibroScan test and selected laboratory parameters to assess the development of liver complications, as well as its place in current guidelines of scientific societies.