Editorial: Magnetic Resonance Elastography and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease: Time for an Upgrade?

Am J Gastroenterol. 2016 Jul;111(7):995-6. doi: 10.1038/ajg.2016.220.

Abstract

Elastography techniques, such as two-dimensional magnetic resonance elastography (2D-MRE) are increasingly used for the non-invasive assessment of liver fibrosis in patients with nonalchoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Loomba et al. demonstrate that 3D-MRE (shear wave frequency 40 Hz) had even greater diagnostic accuracy than the commercially available 2D-MRE (shear wave frequency 60 Hz) in diagnosing advanced fibrosis (area under the receiver operator curve, AUROC 0.981 vs. 0.921, P<0. 05) using liver biopsy as reference standard. Despite limitations, MRE serves as an important tool in risk stratification for patients with NAFLD.

Publication types

  • Editorial
  • Comment

MeSH terms

  • Comparative Effectiveness Research
  • Dimensional Measurement Accuracy
  • Elasticity Imaging Techniques / methods*
  • Humans
  • Imaging, Three-Dimensional / methods*
  • Liver / diagnostic imaging*
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / diagnosis
  • Liver Cirrhosis* / etiology
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / complications
  • Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease* / diagnosis
  • Reproducibility of Results