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World J Gastroenterol. Sep 14, 2014; 20(34): 12031-12038
Published online Sep 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i34.12031
Published online Sep 14, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i34.12031
Noninvasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis B
Masaru Enomoto, Hiroyasu Morikawa, Akihiro Tamori, Norifumi Kawada, Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, Osaka 5458585, Japan
Author contributions: Enomoto M generated the tables; Enomoto M, Morikawa H, Tamori A and Kawada N wrote the manuscript.
Correspondence to: Norifumi Kawada, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Hepatology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3, Asahimachi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 5458585, Japan. kawadanori@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp
Telephone: +81-6-66453811 Fax: +81-6-66453813
Received: October 28, 2013
Revised: February 9, 2014
Accepted: April 15, 2014
Published online: September 14, 2014
Processing time: 324 Days and 23 Hours
Revised: February 9, 2014
Accepted: April 15, 2014
Published online: September 14, 2014
Processing time: 324 Days and 23 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: The usefulness of noninvasive evaluations for predicting liver fibrosis remains to be fully evaluated in chronic hepatitis B. Few indices/scores based on combinations of serum biomarkers were originally proposed for use in patients with chronic hepatitis B. Transient elastography is less accurate for chronic hepatitis B than for chronic hepatitis C. Limited data are available regarding the usefulness of acoustic radiation force impulse, real-time tissue elastography, and magnetic resonance elastography in chronic hepatitis B. However, these methods are suitable for repeated evaluations and can be useful for assessing the clinical stage of disease, predicting complications of cirrhosis, and monitoring the response to treatment.