DOI: 10.36347/sjams.2022.v10i03.031

Pages: 450-457

Background: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a prevalent chronic liver condition with a spectrum ranging from simple steatosis to non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), fibrosis, and cirrhosis. Transient elastography (TE) via FibroScan is a non-invasive tool used to quantify liver stiffness measurement (LSM), which correlates with the degree of hepatic fibrosis. Objective: This prospective cohort study aimed to evaluate the utility of LSM by transient elastography as a predictor of disease progression in patients with NAFLD over a two-year follow-up period at a tertiary care institution in Hyderabad, Telangana, India. Methodology: Thirty adult patients diagnosed with NAFLD were enrolled from the Department of General Medicine, Mallareddy Medical College for Women, between January 2020 and January 2022. Baseline LSM was performed using FibroScan (Echosens, Paris) and repeated at 12 and 24 months. Clinical, biochemical, and imaging parameters were recorded at each visit. Disease progression was defined as a ≥20% increase in LSM or histopathological progression on repeat biopsy. Results: Mean baseline LSM was 8.4 ± 4.7 kPa. At 24 months, mean LSM increased to 10.9 ± 5.8 kPa. Disease progression was observed in 11 of 30 patients (36.7%). A baseline LSM >9.5 kPa was significantly associated with progression (p<0.05). Patients with advanced fibrosis (F3-F4) at baseline exhibited the greatest increase in LSM over the study period. Elevated ALT, BMI >30 kg/m², and the presence of type 2 diabetes mellitus were identified as significant co-predictors of progression. Conclusion: Liver stiffness measurement by transient elastography is a reliable, non-invasive predictor of disease progression in NAFLD. Baseline LSM values, particularly above 9.5 kPa, effectively stratify patients at higher risk for progression, supporting its use in routine clinical surveillance of NAFLD patients.