fatty liver CT manifestations

Written by Shen Jiang Chao

Radiology

Updated on September 11, 2024

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Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, is a metabolic and functional abnormality of the liver that leads to abnormal deposition of fat in liver cells. Fatty liver typically presents characteristic features on a CT scan, generally starting with a decrease in density. The reference standard for decreased density is based on the spleen. Normally, the CT value of the liver is greater than that of the spleen. If the CT value of the liver is lower than that of the spleen, it can be diagnosed as fatty liver. Some focal fatty liver changes can also be diagnosed by CT, mainly manifested by a decrease in density in a particular lobe or segment of the liver, but the blood vessels can still be normally visualized.

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Written by Zhu Dan Hua

Gastroenterology

1min 29sec

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Can fatty liver be cured?

Fatty liver is relatively common in clinical practice, often seen in obese patients or those who consume alcohol excessively. Fatty liver is also categorized as mild, moderate, or severe in clinical settings. Generally, mild fatty liver does not accompany liver function abnormalities. For such patients, the main approach involves appropriate weight loss, exercise, and dietary control. If there are indeed complications like cirrhosis or more severe liver disease, including abnormal liver functions, systematic diagnosis and treatment are recommended. Besides completing abdominal ultrasound and liver function tests, it is also suggested to conduct quantitative hepatitis B virus tests to eliminate the possibility of hepatitis B virus-induced steatosis. Generally, fatty liver can be treated successfully; however, if it is complicated by cirrhosis, the main principle of treatment is to prevent complications, and complete cure may not be possible. Therefore, regarding fatty liver, there is no need for excessive worry, but standard treatment should be followed. Particularly if the fatty liver is complicated by cirrhosis, active diagnosis and treatment are generally recommended.

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Written by Si Li Li

Gastroenterology

1min 12sec

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Is moderate fatty liver serious?

Moderate fatty liver is considered a relatively severe condition, mainly caused by the excessive accumulation of fat tissue in the liver. Generally, moderate fatty liver can cause varying degrees of inflammatory changes in liver cells. It can be roughly divided into three stages: the first stage is simple fatty liver, the second stage is steatohepatitis, and the third stage is fatty liver fibrosis, also known as steatotic liver cirrhosis. Many factors can cause fatty liver, such as obesity, alcohol consumption, and drug toxicity. If a patient experiences indigestion, diarrhea, or loss of appetite, the possibility of fatty liver should be considered. It is advisable to visit a hospital for an upper abdominal CT scan or an abdominal ultrasound to confirm the diagnosis. The treatment mainly involves three aspects: removing the cause, dietary adjustment, and medication.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao

Radiology

45sec

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Fatty liver MRI manifestations

Fatty liver, also known as hepatic steatosis, typically appears normal in most cases on MRI. However, a minority of cases may show high signals on T1 and T2. In fat-suppressed sequences, the high signals disappear after the fat is suppressed, appearing as low signal shadows. MRI has a specific sequence for examining fatty liver, known as the dual-echo sequence, which includes two sequences: one is the in-phase sequence and the other is called the opposed-phase sequence. The in-phase sequence examines the liver parenchyma, while a characteristic feature in the opposed-phase sequence is the significant decrease in signal in areas of fatty metamorphosis.

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Written by Wo Cheng

Hepatology

1min 17sec

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How to treat the symptoms of fatty liver disease?

The treatment of fatty liver symptoms primarily requires distinguishing the type of fatty liver, which includes alcoholic fatty liver, nonalcoholic fatty liver (simple fatty liver), and steatohepatitis. For alcoholic fatty liver, the first step is to abstain from alcohol. Additionally, it is important to avoid high-fat and greasy foods in the diet. When alcoholic liver damage occurs, if the liver function is severely impaired, treatment with liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications may be necessary. For nonalcoholic fatty liver, which is caused by being overweight or having a large waist circumference, treatment involves controlling weight and reducing waist size. Combined with appropriate physical exercise, reducing weight and waist size can help improve fatty liver. The diet should also limit high-fat, greasy, and high-sugar foods, focusing on light and easily digestible food, supplemented with an adequate amount of protein. For people with steatohepatitis, treatment usually involves intravenous infusions of liver-protective, enzyme-lowering, and jaundice-reducing medications.

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Written by Wo Cheng

Hepatology

1min

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Can people with fatty liver smoke?

Patients with fatty liver disease should also appropriately quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. The treatment for severe fatty liver disease mainly includes a reasonable diet, appropriate exercise, as well as choosing to quit smoking and drinking, controlling diet properly, increasing physical exercise, removing the cause of the disease, and actively treating the primary disease. Although smoking mainly causes damage to the lungs, nicotine in cigarettes can also damage liver cells. When people with fatty liver disease smoke excessively, it can exacerbate the condition. It also damages liver cells, so people with fatty liver disease also need to quit smoking or reduce the frequency of smoking. People with fatty liver disease should regularly monitor liver function and undergo imaging tests of the liver to timely monitor the condition and actively enhance physical exercise to control the cause of the disease.