Ultrasonographic anthropometry: An application to the measurement of liver and abdominal fat

Abstract

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum of disorders characterized by an abnormal accumulation of triglycerides in the liver, and is recognized as the most common hepatic lesion, with an estimated prevalence of 15-39% in more industrialized countries. Many potential risk factors for nonalcoholic fatty liver disease have been identified, such as obesity, insulin resistance, hyperlipidemia and diabetes. Visceral adiposity seems to be the major contributor to a fatty liver in the insulin-resistant state. In fact, epidemiological evidence suggests that visceral adiposity is more associated with a fatty liver than the body mass. Direct assessment of hepatic fat obtained by biopsy is considered the gold standard, but it is a very invasive method. Fatty infiltration of the liver and abdominal fat can also be measured by Computerized Tomography, Magnetic Resonance Imaging, and 1 H Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy. Unfortunately, these accurate methods for measuring fat mass are very sophisticated and expensive and have limited applicability in routine clinical settings. Ultrasound has been proposed as an alternative non-invasive technique for measuring fatty liver and subcutaneous and visceral fat thickness, because it may overcome some limitations of skinfold thickness and more sophisticated anthropometric methods.