Fatty liver ???

[copyman]

hi, will ultra sound ALWAYS show fatty liver disease? i know the gold standard is biopsy and i have one scheduled. i had the ultrasound done already and it was normal, along with normal LFT's. i just wanted to ask this question because i read that having fatty liver decreases your chance of svr and i will be starting soon. i was hoping to rule out fatty liver for me and to have some good news for a change. this article i read also said about high cholestrol & glucose connected to fatty liver and i have both. both mildly elevated. thanks for any info.

[pggnotary]

My ultrasound showed diffuse fatty liver, and as a result my G.I. has ordered a NASH fibrosure test, a non-invasive blood test, instead of a liver biopsy.  

Google the NASH Fibrosure, or HCV Fibrosure, it has been trademarked.  Your doctor should be able to tell about the various stages of damage, if any, by this chemical analysis.

[mikesimon]

I got this from: http://www.answers.com/echogenic&r=67
echogenic
"Containing structures that reflect high-frequency sound waves and thus can be imaged by ultrasound techniques."
Mike

[mikesimon]

From:   Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease -- Insights and Controversies http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/536326  
"The presence of fat in the liver can be suggested by several imaging modalities. In patients with the metabolic syndrome and unexplained ALT elevation, steatosis was reliably detected by ultrasonography or abdominal computed tomography (CT), as confirmed by liver biopsy.[36] Additionally, Suzuki and colleagues[37] reported that ultrasound evidence of steatosis clearly changes over time, paralleling changes in serum ALT and BMI.[37] However, another study indicated that correlation of ultrasound findings with biopsy-proven hepatic steatosis was poor (sensitivity, 47%; specificity, 63%; positive predictive value, 11%; and accuracy, 61%).[38] Ultrasound had good negative predictive value (92%) for any grade of steatosis: The specificity improved to 96% with steatosis greater than 50%. Thus, although ultrasound should not substitute for liver biopsy, it is a reasonable test for ruling out steatosis."
Mike

[copyman]

thanks pigeonca, i think you misunderstood my question. i wanted to know if ultrasound is a true test for fatty liver? my ultrasound was NORMAL. does this mean i do not have fatty liver? i know biopsy is needed for any other damage but can the US confirm or deny fatty liver?

[Morgaina]

My ultrasound said "The liver is echogenic and coarse due to fatty infiltration". Sounds like if they said normal for you,you must be doing fine. Low cholesterol is usually the bad sign for HCV, they share the same receptors and HCV is using too many when cholesterol is low.

Mike, do you know what echogenic means?

[pigeonca]

My BMI is about the same as yours, 24.5, and ultrasound reveals fatty liver on me too.  I'm trying to lose some weight via low carb.  Started about a week and a half ago, lost about 3 and a half pounds so far, but the scale's at a standstill for the last few days.  Doc said to do low fat, but I've read that low carb works better.  Maybe it doesn't.  will keep you posted.  Low carb is certainly easier to do than low fat.  By the way, it's not jusst your BMi but where you warry your weight.  If you have belly fat, even if you're of normal weight, there can be problems, ie. "metabolic syndrome."  Good luck.
pigeon

[copyman]

one other thing i forgot, my BMI is 25 so i'm not overweight. thanks again