The diagnosis of hepatitis C is made predominantly by history, physical examination, and laboratory diagnosis.
Optional medical device diagnostics-depending on the results of the history, physical examination, laboratory diagnostics, and obligatory medical device diagnostics-are used for differential diagnosis.
- Abdominal ultrasonography (ultrasound examination of the abdominal organs) – at least every 6 months, regardless of further therapy, for early detection (ascertainment) of liver cirrhosis (irreversible (nonreversible) damage to the liver and a marked remodeling of the liver tissue) and/or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC; hepatocellular carcinoma; liver cancer).
- Computed tomography (CT; sectional imaging procedure (X-ray images from different directions with computer-based evaluation)); well suited for imaging the abdominal organs – in suspected secondary diseases of hepatitis C.
- Elastography of the liver (ultrasound procedure that measures the degree of connective tissue in the liver; e.g. FibroScan©) – to distinguish: no fibrosis or advanced fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver; monitoring in patients who have not been successfully treated.