Hepatic fibrosis is the most important determinant of liver and non-liver outcomes in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Therefore, identifying patients with clinically significant hepatic fibrosis (fibrosis stage 2 or higher) is important for targeted efforts at preventing disease progression.
Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), a subtype of NAFLD characterized by inflammation, ballooning, and Mallory’s hyaline on liver biopsy, can lead to hepatic fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular cancer (HCC). Both NAFLD and NASH are also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cardiovascular and liver-related mortality, and impaired health-related quality of life.
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Baveno VI Criteria for Compensated Advanced Chronic Liver Disease (cACLD)
Portal hypertension is the haemodynamic abnormality associated with the most severe complications of cirrhosis, including ascites, hepatic encephalopathy and bleeding from gastroesophageal varices. Variceal bleeding is a medical emergency associated with a mortality that, in spite of recent progress, is still in the order of 10–20% at 6 weeks. The evaluation of diagnostic tools and the design and conduct of good clinical trials for the treatment of portal hypertension have always been difficult.
Fibrosis-4 (FIB4) Scoring System for Liver Fibrosis
The FIB4 index was developed in 2006 by Sterling as a non-invasive method to diagnose liver fibrosis and combines aspartate aminotransferase (AST) levels, alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels, platelet count, and age.
Criteria for Grading Hepatic Encephalopathy
Grading of hepatic encephalopathy categorizes it in clinical stages of stepwise worsening. The description of each grade varies somewhat in the literature, but differences between adjacent grades are clear enough to be helpful in clinical practice, although neurologic descriptors are sparse. One study showed that for patients who become comatose, the Full Outline of Unresponsiveness (FOUR) score is more discriminating than the West Haven grading system because it includes brain-stem and respiration assessment, which are not further differentiated in the West Haven system.
Histologic Scoring Systems for Chronic Liver Disease
Grading and staging refers to a semiquantitative assessment of the necroinflammatory activity (grade) and degree of fibrosis (stage) in relation to chronic hepatitis.