Ultrasonography of steatosis
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Author:
Mikael Häggström [notes 1]
Contents
Planning
Choice of modality
- Ultrasonography of steatosis is a good method for screening. Quantification can be done, but it is not as accurate as MRI.
- MRI of liver steatosis is the most accurate method to quantify liver steatosis.
- CT of the liver should not be used to detect or stage liver steatosis. Steatosis on CT scan is displayed as a liver with attenuation lower than usual. CT has high sensitivity for moderate and severe steatosis, but lower for mild steatosis.
How soon
Within 2 months in Swedish practice[notes 2]
Evaluation
File:False impression of hyperechogenic liver.jpg
Viewing the liver and kidney side by side (left image) may give a false impression of hyperechogenic liver, so it's preferably done with the organ borders facing the ultrasound probe (right image, of the same case).
Liver echogenicity, as compared to the kidney, where liver hyperechogenicity indicates steatosis.
It is also appropriate to perform a general upper abdominal screening.
- Ultrasonography of focal steatosis.jpg
Abdominal ultrasonography of focal steatosis. It can br distinguished from a tumor by absence of signs of expansion, in this case not compressing the hepatic vein going through it.
Report
- Normal: "Normal liver echogenicity."
- Hyperechogenic: "Hyperechogenic liver parenchyma, indicating steatosis".
- See also: General notes on reporting
Notes
- ↑ For a full list of contributors, see article history. Creators of images are attributed at the image description pages, seen by clicking on the images. See Radlines:Authorship for details.
- ↑ NU Hospital Group, Sweden
