How are liver cirrhosis and portal hypertension diagnosed?

Liver cirrhosis is diagnosed via the following modalities:

• Liver imaging (ultrasound, CT or MRI of the liver)
• Liver stiffness measurement using Fibroscan®
• Liver biopsy (removal of a small sample of liver tissue for histological analysis)

The doctor may suspect liver cirrhosis in people with risk factors for cirrhosis who have abnormal blood tests, abnormal liver imaging or one of the signs and symptoms listed above.

Liver imaging is highly specific for the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis in which the liver has a shrunken and nodular appearance. Early cirrhosis is more difficult to diagnose as these patients may show a normal liver image during the scan. Early cirrhosis is often diagnosed by liver stiffness measurement (Fibroscan®). Sometimes a liver biopsy is required to confirm the diagnosis of early cirrhosis.