What are the examination items for liver disease?

There are many ways to check liver disease, such as liver function tests, imaging tests, hepatitis B two-pair-half tests, routine blood tests, alpha-fetoprotein tests and other tests. Liver diseases include hepatitis B, hepatitis A, hepatitis C, cirrhosis, fatty liver, liver cancer, alcoholic liver disease and many other types of liver diseases. Patients with liver disease should check their liver function regularly to prevent accidents.

(1) Liver function test: For patients with liver disease, regular liver function tests are particularly important, especially for the diagnosis of diseases such as hepatitis B and cirrhosis. Liver function tests are extremely sensitive and important. They can reflect liver cell damage, metabolic function, excretion function, reserve function, interstitial changes, etc. However, liver function tests also have certain limitations, so liver function tests can only be used as an auxiliary means of diagnosing hepatobiliary diseases.

(2) Imaging examination: Liver disease patients can undergo regular B-ultrasound examinations to understand the size and shape of the liver, echogenicity, portal vein diameter, spleen thickness, and the presence of ascites, and to determine whether the disease is turning into cirrhosis. However, experts remind that dynamic observation of B-ultrasound examinations is of great significance. That is, comparing the results of liver, gallbladder and spleen B-ultrasounds several times can provide important reference value for early detection.

(3) Hepatitis B two-pair half test: reflects the body's hepatitis B virus infection status, determines whether there is liver disease and the carrier status and nature. In order to fully understand the infection situation, it is necessary to cooperate with HBV-DNA testing for comprehensive analysis.

(4) Hepatitis B virus DNA test: It is important to understand the current extent of hepatitis B virus replication and the strength of its infectiousness, especially in determining the prognosis of hepatitis B, as well as determining which type of antiviral drug is suitable for the patient and the efficacy of the drug before and after use.

(5) Alpha-fetoprotein test: It is a mature technical means to detect liver cancer markers. AFP can be significantly elevated before imaging examinations find liver masses, so it is the most effective method for early detection of primary liver cancer.

(6) Routine blood examination: Changes in blood counts can often indicate the severity of the disease. For example, in the early stage of liver cirrhosis, there may be a slight decrease in platelets. In the middle and late stages of liver cirrhosis, hypersplenism and a decrease in whole blood count may be seen. If there is a simple decrease in hemoglobin, attention should be paid to the possibility of gastrointestinal bleeding.

(7) Four liver fibrosis tests: The examination of serum type III procollagen, laminin, hyaluronic acid, and type IV collagen can preliminarily determine the degree of liver fibrosis, which is very helpful for understanding and preventing the development of the disease.

(8) Liver biopsy: The diagnostic value of liver biopsy is far higher than that of blood biochemistry and imaging examinations. It can directly understand the pathological changes of tissues and make a more accurate diagnosis. It is recognized by the medical community as the gold standard for early detection of liver cancer.