Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2015 Apr 21;21(15):4432-9.
doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i15.4432.

Noninvasive imaging assessment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: focus on liver scintigraphy

Cristiane Valle Tovo  1 , Angelo Zambam de Mattos  1 , Gabriela Perdomo Coral  1 , Fernanda Schild Branco  1 , Eiji Suwa  1 , Angelo Alves de Mattos  1
Affiliations
Review

Noninvasive imaging assessment of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: focus on liver scintigraphy

Cristiane Valle Tovo et al. World J Gastroenterol. .

Abstract

Noninvasive diagnoses of nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease (NAFLD) involve the use of serologic markers and imaging methods, such as conventional ultrasonography (US), computed tomography, and magnetic resonance imaging. Although these methods are reliable for the noninvasive detection of moderate to severe fatty changes in the liver, they are not reliable for detecting nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and fibrosis. New imaging technologies, such as US-based transient elastography, acoustic radiation force impulse and magnetic resonance-based elastography, can reportedly be used to determine the severity of liver fibrosis associated with NASH. In this context, the field of nuclear medicine through liver scintigraphy has recently been proposed, and is being explored for use in the diagnosis of NASH. More importantly, nuclear medicine may contribute to the distinction between simple steatosis and NASH. For example, the enhanced release of cytokines and the decrease in the phagocytic activity of Kupffer cells play important roles in the pathogenesis of NASH. Removal of technetium-99m colloid from circulation by Kupffer cell phagocytosis therefore provides a valuable imaging technique. Thus, nuclear medicine is poised to provide useful tools for the evaluation of patients with NAFLD. However, the evidence is still scarce, and more studies with larger samples are needed to identify their role before they are used in clinical practice.

Keywords: Liver fibrosis; Liver scintigraphy; Nonalcoholic fatty-liver disease diagnosis; Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis; Noninvasive methods.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Younossi ZM, Stepanova M, Rafiq N, Makhlouf H, Younoszai Z, Agrawal R, Goodman Z. Pathologic criteria for nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: interprotocol agreement and ability to predict liver-related mortality. Hepatology. 2011;53:1874–1882. - PubMed
    1. Ekstedt M, Franzén LE, Mathiesen UL, Thorelius L, Holmqvist M, Bodemar G, Kechagias S. Long-term follow-up of patients with NAFLD and elevated liver enzymes. Hepatology. 2006;44:865–873. - PubMed
    1. Chalasani N, Younossi Z, Lavine JE, Diehl AM, Brunt EM, Cusi K, Charlton M, Sanyal AJ. The diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: practice Guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association. Hepatology. 2012;55:2005–2023. - PubMed
    1. Pagadala MR, McCullough AJ. The relevance of liver histology to predicting clinically meaningful outcomes in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Clin Liver Dis. 2012;16:487–504. - PMC - PubMed
    1. Stepanova M, Rafiq N, Makhlouf H, Agrawal R, Kaur I, Younoszai Z, McCullough A, Goodman Z, Younossi ZM. Predictors of all-cause mortality and liver-related mortality in patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) Dig Dis Sci. 2013;58:3017–3023. - PubMed

Substances