A clinical study on quantitative assessment of hepatic steatosis using ultrasound-derived fat fraction

Abstract

Abstract: Objective To explore the clinical significance of ultrasound-derived fat fraction (UDFF) from the right lobe of liver for quantitatively assessing liver fat content of patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods Fifty-eight subjects were selected in this study and divided in Group A (normal control group:18 cases) and Group B (fatty liver group: 40 cases). All subjects first underwent conventional ultrasound examination, followed by measurements of the controlled attenuation parameter (CAP) and UDFF. The differences in CAP and UDFF between the two groups of patients were compared. The consistency and correlation between UDFF and CAP were analyzed. Results Group A had a CAP of (223.16 ± 12.59) dB/m and a UDFF of (4.69 ± 1.27)%, both within the normal range. Group B had a CAP of (258.49 ± 15.14) dB/m and a UDFF of (14.75 ± 2.87)%, both of which were significantly higher than those in Group A (P<0.05). Pearson correlation analysis showed that UDFF and CAP were positively correlated in assessing hepatic steatosis (r=0.938, P<0.001). Bland-Altman analysis of their agreement revealed that all subjects in Group A fell within the 95% confidence interval, while in Group B, 95% (38/40) of the cases were within the confidence interval, indicating a good consistency between UDFF and CAP values in the right liver lobes of patients in both groups. Conclusion UDFF is a non-invasive technique for quantitatively assessing liver fat content and holds significant clinical value in evaluating NAFLD.

Key words: Ultrasound-derived fat fraction, Hepatic steatosis, Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Controlled attenuation parameter

QIAN Rong, ZHANG Zhen, WANG Cheng-chen, GUO Ming-yang, HE Shen-yan, CHEN Hui-chong, TU Jiao, CHEN Ting-ting, LIU Ting, PEI Feng. A clinical study on quantitative assessment of hepatic steatosis using ultrasound-derived fat fraction[J]. Chinese Hepatolgy, 2025, 30(9): 1192-1194.

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