PURPOSEProgression of liver fibrosis to end-stage disease can potentially be prevented with antiviral treatment. Thus, diagnosis of fibrosis is important in determining treatment protocols. This study aims first, to determine the sensitivity of a novel Doppler method, superb microvascular imaging (SMI), in detecting small vascular structures of the liver compared with other Doppler methods; and second, to choose the best method among these Doppler applications to determine the morphologic changes that occur due to chronic fibrosis. By doing so, the study would be able to provide an ultrasound grading that might differentiate and predict mild and severe liver fibrosis, thus giving rise to a possible alternative to biopsy.
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