Journal of hepatology
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Journal of hepatology · Oct 2008
ReviewNon-alcoholic fatty liver disease is strongly associated with carotid atherosclerosis: a systematic review.
To perform a systematic review of the studies addressing the association between non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT). ⋯ Routine measurement of carotid IMT might be implemented in NAFLD patients, as they carry an increase of 13% of carotid IMT.
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Journal of hepatology · Oct 2008
Comparative StudyA non-invasive algorithm accurately predicts advanced fibrosis in hepatitis C: a comparison using histology with internal-external validation.
Biochemical tests and ultrasonography (US) are useful in the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CH-C); however histology remains the reference standard. This multicenter, cross-sectional cohort study evaluated the accuracy of APRI (AST-to-platelet-ratio-index) and liver surface ultrasound nodularity (LSN), singularly and sequentially combined in an algorithm, in diagnosing advanced fibrosis (i.e. METAVIR F3,F4), to derive a prediction rule to confirm or exclude F3,F4. ⋯ An algorithm based on APRI and LSN confirms or excludes F3,F4 in 54% of CH-C patients with elevated ALT and suggests a highly probable diagnosis in a further one-sixth of patients, thus rendering liver biopsy unnecessary in these patients.