Transient elastography offers a non-invasive approach for the detection of gastric and esophageal varices in patients with chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C, serving as an alternative to upper endoscopy
1Raja Assad Tariq, 2Dr Nighat Saleem, 3Tabassum Butt, 4Dr Uzair Butt, 5Rizwan Haider, 6Khizar Hayat
- Poonch medical college Rawalakot
- AJKMC Mzd
- PIMS Islamabad
- Ayub medical college Abbottbad
- PIMS Islamabad
- PIMS Islamabad
Vol: 16/02
Received: January 25, 2026 Accepted: March 02, 2026 Published: March 30, 2026
ABSTRACT
The recent updates in guidelines of Baveno 7, emphasizes on the importance of screening of patients with chronic liver diseases for the identification of esophageal/ gastric varices and further management of the patients accordingly because the surveillance interval and treatment strategies rely on the grade of varices. Lack of early diagnoses of hepatitis Band C, many patients remain untreated till later stages leading to progression of chronic liver disease to decompensation and complications. When there is portal hypertension, it leads to portosystemic shunting by forming collateral vessels. 1 This results in the formation of esophageal and gastric varices which results in complications of decompensation by causing massive hemorrhage. Which can be life threatening and raises the mortality rate up to 14.2 – 14.5%. 2,3 Esophageal and Gastric varices are one of the signs of the progression of chronic liver disease to cirrhosis. This is because of the development of portal hypertension in response to progression of fibrosis and increase stiffness in patients with chronic liver disease secondary to hepatitis B and C.
Many studies have been conducted in the past that have shown that an average of 50% of patients who were initially diagnosed with cirrhosis, do not develop esophageal varices in the period of follow up of 10yr. 4
Keywords: Transient elastography, non-invasive alternative, upper endoscopy, identifying gastric, esophageal varices, chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis C.