Published online Dec 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i45.16811
Revised: July 10, 2014
Accepted: October 15, 2014
Published online: December 7, 2014
Processing time: 204 Days and 20.8 Hours
Liver stiffness measurement (LSM) is a good, but still limited tool to noninvasively assess complications and prognosis in patients with advanced liver disease. This review aims to consider the role of LSM for the diagnosis of portal hypertension-related complications and for assessment of prognosis in cirrhotic patients, and to highlight the drawbacks as well as some alternatives for improving the performance. Hence, this field is far from being closed, and deserves more attention. There is still a place for more carefully designed studies to find new, innovative and reliable approaches.
Core tip: This review aims to consider the role of liver stiffness measurement for the diagnosis of portal hypertension-related complications and for assessment of prognosis in cirrhotic patients, and to highlight the drawbacks as well as some alternatives for improving the performance.