Background and Aim: The prevalence of fibrosis and steatosis in patients with psoriasis, as determined by vibration-controlled transient elastography (VCTE), has not been evaluated in Turkiye to date. The present cross-sec-tional study aims to present the first systematic screening results, focusing on two primary objectives: 1) establishing the prevalence of fibrosis and steatosis, and 2) identifying independent predictors for liver stiffness mea-surement (LSM) and controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) values in this patient population.
Material and Methods: Patients were eligible for inclusion if they had a confirmed diagnosis of psoriasis by a qualified dermatologist based on characteristic signs and symptoms and histopathological examination, and had undergone VCTE for LSM and CAP measurements.
Results: The diagnosis of severe fibrosis and cirrhosis – identified by LSM values of 10.0−13.9 and ≥14.0 kPa, respectively – was significantly preva-lent (7.0% and 10.1%, respectively) among a sizeable cohort of relatively young Turkish patients with psoriasis (n=328; mean age: 49.5±12.7 years). Additionally, severe steatosis, as diagnosed by VCTE and characterized by a CAP value exceeding 290 dB/m, was identified in up to 43.3% of patients. Although body mass index (BMI) was the only variable found to be an in-dependently associated with LSM, multivariable linear regression analysis failed to identify any statistically independent predictor of CAP values.
Conclusion: The prevalence of hepatic fibrosis and steatosis in Turkish pa-tients with psoriasis is far from negligible, with BMI identified as an inde-pendent risk factor for fibrosis.