Diagnosis of hepatic steatosis based on ultrasound attenuation imaging is not influenced by liver fibrosis

AbstractAimRecently, a new technique using attenuation imaging (ATI) was developed to diagnose hepatic steatosis. The aim of this study was to investigate whether ATI for the evaluation of hepatic steatosis is influenced by liver fibrosis.MethodsA total of 328 patients with chronic liver disease were enrolled to study the associations between histological hepatic steatosis or liver fibrosis and ATI findings. The interaction between liver fibrosis and ATI was also analyzed.ResultsMedian ATI values according to steatosis grade and fibrosis stage increased in line with the progression of liver steatosis (p < 0.001) and fibrosis (p < 0.05). However, in each steatosis grade, ATI values according to fibrosis stage were not significantly increased. In multiple regression analyses for assessment of the effect of their interaction, the p values for fibrosis stage, steatosis grade, and fibrosis stage × steatosis grade were 0.096, <0.001, and 0.077, respectively. Variance inflation factor values for fibrosis stage, steatosis grade, and fibrosis stage × steatosis grade were 1.079, 1.094, and 1.074, respectively.ConclusionAttenuation imaging values are not influenced by liver fibrosis.