Metabolic liver imaging: What you need to know

Metabolic liver diseases represent a growing global health concern with significant diagnostic and prognostic implications. Imaging offers non-invasive alternatives to biopsy for diagnosis, staging, and follow-up. This review summarizes current imaging techniques used in metabolic liver disease, including ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and advanced modalities such as MRI elastography and PET/MRI. Particular focus is given to quantitative biomarkers such as elastography, proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and R2* mapping, their clinical utility, and future directions in artificial intelligence and radiomics. A practical framework for imaging-based assessment is proposed to aid clinicians and radiologists in optimizing patient management.