To review one year of ultrasound impulse elastometry in a hospital in Ouagadougou. Patients and Method: This is a retrospective descriptive study of data from one year’s use of impulse ultrasound elastometry. Ultrasound impulse elastometry was performed using the FibroScan® COMPACT 530. Fibrosis was considered significant when E (hepatic elasticity) ≥ 7.2 kPa (F2 fibrosis). The test was considered valid when the IQR/Median ratio ≤ 30% and there were at least 10 valid measurements. Results: A total of 1911 patients underwent FibroScan®. There were 1079 men, giving a sex ratio of 1.3. The mean age of the patients was 37.9 ± 12.2 years. The indication for FibroScan® was hepatitis B virus infection in 89% of cases. The validation criteria for FibroScan® were met in all patients. The mean value for elasticity was 7.9 kPa and for steatosis 212 dB/m. Fibrosis was non-significant in 75.5% of cases. More than half of our patients (56.7%) didn’t have steatosis, 24.8% had mild steatosis, 12.4% had moderate steatosis and 6.1% had severe steatosis. Conclusion: Ultrasound pulse elastometry plays an important role in monitoring chronic liver disease. It allows non-invasive diagnosis of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis. In our context, however, access to the test is limited by its availability only in large urban centers, and by its cost.
Pulse Elastometry, Hepatic Fibrosis, Steatosis, Non-Invasive Evaluation of Fibrosis, Africa