This clinical white paper evaluates the use of quantitative ultrasound (QUS) in the diagnosis of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), with a focus on assessing hepatic steatosis. The study compares QUS-derived parameters—Tissue Attenuation Imaging (TAI™) and Tissue Scatter-distribution Imaging (TSI™)—against the reference standard MRI-proton density fat fraction (MRI-PDFF).
Conducted at Seoul National University Hospital, the prospective study involved 173 participants with suspected NAFLD or scheduled for hepatectomy. Each underwent QUS scans using the Samsung RS85 Prestige ultrasound system and MRI-PDFF imaging. The analysis focused on how well QUS could detect various grades of hepatic steatosis: ≥S1 (mild), ≥S2 (moderate), and S3 (severe).
Results showed strong correlations between QUS values and MRI-PDFF:
- TAI™ r = 0.776, TSI™ r = 0.635
- AUCs > 0.9 for detecting ≥S1 and ≥S2 using both methods
- Excellent intra-class correlation coefficients (ICC) for reproducibility: 0.975 for TAI™, 0.924 for TSI™
QUS also demonstrated high sensitivity and specificity at clinically useful cutoff points, confirming its diagnostic value in hepatic fat quantification. The study concludes that quantitative ultrasound offers a reliable, noninvasive, and widely accessible method for evaluating hepatic steatosis, making it a viable tool for early NAFLD diagnosis and longitudinal disease monitoring.
For related insights, explore how quantitative ultrasound is applied in liver steatosis and fibrosis assessment in health screening programs .
