Combined impact of steatohepatitis and fibrosis on liver stiffness in patients with alcoholic liver disease

Aims: Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) usually shows a mixed clinical presentation of various stages of fibrosis combined with steatohepatitis and cholestasis. Fibrosis assessment by transient elastography [Fibroscan (FS)] would be ideal to screen this patient population since it is non invasive. However, both inflammation and cholestasis can strongly interfere with FS measurements of fibrosis. Method: We here performed a sequential FS analysis in 50 patients with ALD admitted to the hospital for alcohol withdrawal at the time of admission and after detoxification. Changes in transaminases and liver stiffness value…