Evaluation of the Pattern of Liver Fat Distribution Using Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Technique in Patients with Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease

Abstract

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the spatial distribution of the liver fat with in-phase and out-of-phase gradient echo imaging technique in patients with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Methods: This cross-sectional prospective study was conducted on 38 volunteers after approval by the Ethics Committee and obtaining informed consent, in the period of more than two years. Inclusion criteria were as being adult with confirmed NAFLD in biopsy findings, and exclusion criteria included pregnancy, alcohol consumption, claustrophobia, history of liver disease, and using lipid control drugs between biopsy and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The in-phase and out-of-phase sequences was performed with a 1.5 Tesla scanner. Fat fractions were calculated for different parts of the liver, and compared with each other. Descriptive statistics, linear regression, and a set of Spearman, Kruskul-Wallis, and Mann-Whitney tests were used with a significance level of P 0.050). Conclusion: The spatial distribution of liver fat is heterogeneous in patients with NAFLD.

Keywords

• Magnetic resonance imaging
• Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
• Body fat distribution