[Non-invasive methods for the evaluation of liver fibrosis in clinical practice].

Staging of the degree of liver fibrosis is important for the estimation of prognosis, surveillance and treatment decision in patients with chronic liver diseases. At present, liver biopsy is still the reference standard for the assessment of liver fibrosis. However, it is an invasive method with respective complications and limitations. Thus, non-invasive methods such as blood fibrosis markers and ultrasound-based elastography methods have been intensively evaluated for the assessment of liver fibrosis. The aim of the present article is to give an overview of research and clinical applicability of non-invasive methods in chronic liver disease. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.