Quantification of liver fat with magnetic resonance imaging

Magn Reson Imaging Clin N Am. 2010 Aug;18(3):337-57, ix. doi: 10.1016/j.mric.2010.08.013.

Abstract

Intracellular fat accumulation is common feature of liver disease. Intracellular fat (steatosis) is the histologic hallmark of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease but also may occur with alcohol abuse, viral hepatitis, HIV and genetic lipodystrophies, and chemotherapy. This article reviews emerging MR imaging techniques that attempt to quantify liver fat. The content provides an overview of fatty liver disease and diseases where fat is an important disease feature. Also discussed is the current use and limitation of nontargeted biopsy in diffuse liver disease and why quantitative noninvasive biomarkers of liver fat would be beneficial.

Publication types

  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adipose Tissue / pathology*
  • Algorithms*
  • Fatty Liver / pathology*
  • Humans
  • Image Enhancement / methods*
  • Image Interpretation, Computer-Assisted / methods*
  • Liver / pathology*
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods*
  • Pattern Recognition, Automated / methods
  • Reproducibility of Results
  • Sensitivity and Specificity