J Korean Diabetes.  2014 Jun;15(2):82-92. 10.4093/jkd.2014.15.2.82.

Diagnosis of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

• Gwak GY

• KMID: 2173899
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.4093/jkd.2014.15.2.82

Abstract

Although the classical gold standard for diagnosing and staging non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and assessing fibrosis is liver biopsy, the procedure has several drawbacks, such as sample error, subjectivity in interpretation, high cost, and a small but real risk of complications.In an attempt to replace liver biopsy and to subcategorize patients with NAFLD into different prognoses, many non-invasive methods using various biomarkers, scoring systems, and imaging methods, such as elastography, have been attempted in the last decade. This article summarizes non-invasive diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of NAFLD/Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as the limitations and merits of liver biopsy.

Keyword

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Diagnosis; Liver biopsy

MeSH Terms

Biomarkers
Biopsy
Diagnosis*
Diagnostic Tests, Routine
Elasticity Imaging Techniques
Fatty Liver*
Fibrosis
Humans
Liver
Prognosis

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1. Microscopic finding of nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. There are macrovesicular fatty change, ballooning degeneration of hepatocytes, and focal hepatocyte necrosis with inflammatory cell infiltration (H&E, ｘ400).

Reference

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