Like many liver diseases the symptoms of BCS are non-specific, meaning that they can be caused by many conditions other than BCS.
Methods of diagnosis include liver function tests (LFTs) and imaging tests with ultrasound and computerised tomography (CT).
Ultrasound, the same technology used to confirm all is well in pregnancy, directs sound waves through your skin via a probe device as it is passed over your liver area. Anything solid will bounce back as a refl ected sound wave via the probe and will be turned into an image that can be seen on a screen. In BCS, a type of scan known as ‘Doppler’ ultrasound is used to obtain information about blood flow in your arteries and veins and this often gives enough information for BCS to be diagnosed.
A CT scan may also be used. This can obtain pictures, called tomograms, from different angles around your body using computer processing and can also show ‘cross-sections’ of your tissue and organs. This scan can show an enlargement of the liver and changes in the density (thickness) of liver tissue due to abnormal blood flow.
A liver biopsy
may be necessary if other tests have helped doctors to identify the reason for liver problems. During a liver biopsy a tiny piece of the liver is taken for study. A fine hollow needle is passed through the skin into the liver and a small sample of tissue is withdrawn. The test is usually done under local anaesthetic and may mean an overnight stay in hospital, although some people may be allowed home later the same day.