Three testing methods to check for fatty liver

August 27, 2020
Health Info

The liver tissue of a normal person contains a small amount of fat, and its weight is about 4% to 5% of the liver weight. If the liver fat accumulates too much, exceeds 10% or even 15% of the liver weight, it is called fatty liver. However, there are no obvious symptoms in the early stage of fatty liver, and most people are prone to missed the diagnosis of fatty liver even if they undergo routine physical examinations. So, what tests do fatty liver need to be done?

1. Abdominal Ultrasonography

Abdominal ultrasound is the most common tool for diagnosing fatty liver, and can detect the presence of fatty liver, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and tumors in the liver. The criteria used for diagnosis include: the brightness contrast between the liver parenchyma and the right renal cortex, the degree to which the hepatic portal vein, hepatic vein, and gallbladder wall are individually obscured, the degree of sound and shadow attenuation in deep liver tissue, etc. Clinical ultrasound examination has a high accuracy in diagnosing fatty liver. However, ultrasound's judgment of liver fibrosis completely relies on the doctor's experience and is a subjective judgment. Therefore, there will be differences in the interpretation results of different doctors.

2. Liver function tests (Liver function tests)

Drawing blood cannot test whether you have fatty liver disease, but it can test liver function. It is of little use in diagnosing fatty liver disease. Liver function blood tests include:

Liver function index (GPT, GOT)
Total bilirubin
Direct bilirubin
Transphosphatase
Glutamine aminotranspeptidase (γ-GT)
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
Serum total protein
Serum albumin
Albumin/globulin ratio
Hepatitis B surface antigen and antibodies
Hepatitis C antibodies, etc.

Generally speaking, serum GOT/GPT values in patients with fatty liver may be normal. Even if they are elevated, they are usually within two to three times the upper limit and rarely exceed five times. If you want to distinguish between alcoholic and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, you can refer to the serum γ-GT value; in alcoholic patients, the γ-GT value will be abnormally high, far exceeding the increase in serum alkaline phosphatase value.

3. Liver Biopsy

Liver biopsy (commonly known as liver biopsy or liver biopsy) is an invasive examination. Although it is not easily accepted by patients, it is the best tool to establish the diagnosis of fatty liver. Pathological examination shows fibrosis in the specimen tissue, which can diagnose the degree of liver inflammation and fibrosis. If the patient is obese or has fatty liver, the accuracy of diagnosis may decrease.

The above information is for reference only. Consult your doctor if you have any doubt.
Source: https://bit.ly/3iMXV85

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