MDCT classification of steatotic liver: a multicentric analysis

Area of Science:

• Radiology
• Hepatology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Fatty liver disease is a prevalent cause of chronic liver disease globally.
• Accurate assessment of hepatic steatosis is crucial for patient management.
• Multidetector row computed tomography (CT) offers potential for non-invasive evaluation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze liver characteristics using multidetector row CT.
• To identify reliable CT criteria for detecting and quantifying hepatic steatosis.
• To establish CT-based thresholds for grading steatosis severity.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of multiphasic CT scans from 51 adults who underwent liver biopsy.
• Quantification of Hounsfield units (HU) in hepatic segments and spleen.
• Calculation of liver-spleen difference (DLS) and correlation with biopsy-graded steatosis.

Main Results:

• Non-enhanced CT scans showed a significant association with hepatic steatosis.
• Identified HU thresholds for steatosis grades 1-4: 50, 45, 35, and 20 HU.
• Significant association found between steatosis and DLS in non-enhanced and arterial phases.

Conclusions:

• Non-enhanced liver CT values effectively identify and grade hepatic steatosis.
• Liver-spleen difference in the arterial phase is a reliable parameter for assessing steatosis.
• CT imaging provides a valuable tool for non-invasive fatty liver disease assessment.