Usefulness of Ultrasonography in Diagonsis of Fatty Liver

Ahn, Sung Hoon; Park, Soong Kook; Hur, Jung Wook; Huh, Kyu Chan; Chung, Woo Jin; Hwang, Jae Suck; Woo, Seong Gu

Abstract

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: For the diagnosis of fatty liver, physical examination, biochemical test, radiological study and histological examination are being used. Among the various diagnostics, liver biopsy is essential for the confirmative diagnosis. The authors studied the accuracy of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of fatty liver in comparison with a histologic diagnosis.
METHODS
We perfonned ultrasonography and liver biopsy in 19 patients with suspected fatty liver. The criteria for the diagnosis of fatty liver on ultrasonography is diffusely increased echogenicity of the liver and the criteria for diagnosis of fatty liver on liver biopsy is based on degree of fatty metamor- phosis. We compared a sonographic finding with the histologic grade of fatty liver. Also, we investigated liver function test and lipid profile.
RESULTS
The sensitivity of ultrasonography in diagnosis of fatty liver was 100 percent. The correlation of fatty liver in ultrasonography and histology was 73.6%. Therefore, the degree of fatty infiltration in ultrasonography was significantly correlated with degree of fatty accumulation of liver (p<0.05). Liver enzyme titer revealed an increase slighter than normal but cholesterol, triglyceride, and total lipid level were in the normal range.
CONCLUSIONS
The degree of fatty infiltration in ultrasonography was significantly correlated with that in the liver biopsy and the sensitivity of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of fatty liver was high. Therefore we have concluded that abdominal ultrasonography with a liver biopsy is useful in the diagnosis of fatty liver and follow-up.