Liver fibroscan shows comparable accuracy to imaging tests in diagnosing cirrhosis: NECA

The National Evidence-based Healthcare Collaborating Agency (NECA) said its reassessment of liver fibroscan shows that the test has diagnostic accuracy for cirrhosis comparable to that of imaging tests.

On Wednesday, NECA released the results of its medical technology reassessment of liver fibroscan, a non-invasive test used for patients with chronic liver disease.

Early detection of liver fibrosis—a gradual hardening of the liver—is essential, as it can progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer if left untreated. Fibrosis is classified into five stages, from F0 (normal) to F4 (cirrhosis), with higher stages indicating more severe liver damage.

Liver fibroscan is a non-invasive test that uses a device equipped with a vibrator and ultrasound transducer. It applies vibrations to the skin over the liver to measure the organ’s elasticity, providing a numerical indication of fibrosis severity.

To assess the test's safety and diagnostic accuracy in patients with chronic liver disease, NECA analyzed 64 studies involving a total of 10,942 patients.

According to the analysis, liver fibroscan showed a diagnostic accuracy of approximately 87 percent for moderate fibrosis (F2 or higher), 89 percent for severe fibrosis (F3 or higher), and 94 percent for cirrhosis (F4).

These results indicate that liver fibroscan outperforms blood tests in diagnostic accuracy and is on par with imaging methods such as shear wave elastography and magnetic resonance elastography.

In particular, for F4 cirrhosis—the most severe stage—the test demonstrated about 94 percent accuracy, confirming its usefulness in evaluating disease severity and aiding treatment planning.

The test is also considered safe, as it is performed externally and poses no direct harm to patients. Its low false-negative rate reduces the risk of delayed treatment. However, NECA emphasized the need for further studies on the long-term impact of liver fibroscan in improving liver disease outcomes.

“Liver fibroscan is a clinically safe and effective technique for diagnosing liver fibrosis and monitoring cirrhosis progression in patients with chronic liver disease,” said Kim Min-jeong, head of NECA’s Healthcare Evaluation and Research Division. “However, caution is needed when interpreting results in individuals without a history of liver disease.”