Assessment of liver fat in an obese patient population using noncontrast CT fat percent index

Clin Imaging. 2014 May-Jun;38(3):259-64. doi: 10.1016/j.clinimag.2014.01.005. Epub 2014 Jan 17.

Abstract

Objective: To develop a simplified method to quantify liver fat using computed tomography (CT) fat % index (CTFPI) compared to liver spleen method (CTL/S, CTL-S).

Methods: Noncontrast CT of the liver was performed in 89 patients (overweight, obese, severely obese) to quantify fat, using the following: CTFPI=[(65-patient HU)/65]×100, normal live r=65 HU.

Results: There was a strong linear correlation between CTFPI and the standard method of assessing liver fat using CTL/S (r=-0.901), CTL-S (r=-0.911). Hepatic HU and CTFPI were significantly different in the severely obese group compared to other two groups (P<.05).

Conclusion: Significant correlation indicates equal diagnostic accuracy of the two methods in appropriately calibrated scanners.

Keywords: Fat percent index; Hepatic steatosis assessment; Metabolic syndrome; NASH; Noncontrast CT; Obesity.

MeSH terms

  • Aged
  • Fats / analysis*
  • Fatty Liver / diagnostic imaging*
  • Female
  • Humans
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Obesity / diagnostic imaging*
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed / methods*

Substances

  • Fats