J Korean Soc Med Ultrasound.  1998 Dec;17(4):339-342.

Fatty liver: Correlation between the Sonographic Grades and Liver Function Tests

• Cho YA
• Kim HJ
• Yoo JH
• Rhee CS

Abstract

PURPOSE: This study was performed to establish the relationship between the sonographic grades of fatty liver and liver function test. MATERIALS & METHODS: The materials were from 326 patients who were diagnosed sonographic fatty liver without evidence of chronic liver disease, hepatitis and metabolic liver disease. Sonographic grades of fatty liver were mild, moderate, and severe according to the echogenicity of liver parenchyma, acoustic atenuation and the disinction of the portal vein wall and diaphragm. We retrogradely analyzed the data of liver function (AST, ALT, gamma-GT, triglyceride, cholesterol), and evaluated statistical correlation between the sonographic grades of fatty liver and the liver function.
RESULTS
The sonographic grades of fatty liver were mild (38%), moderate (37%), and severe (25%). Triglyceride was significantly elevated according to the grades of fatty liver with statistical significance between the mild and severe degree. The AST shows significance between the mild and moderate, mild and severe degree, and ALT between mild and moderate degree. Cholosterol and gamma-GT were not statistically significant according to the grades of fatty liver.
CONCLUSION
There were partly significant correlations between the triglyeride, ALT, AST and the sonographic grades of fatty liver.

MeSH Terms

Acoustics
Diaphragm
Fatty Liver*
Hepatitis
Humans
Liver Diseases
Liver Function Tests*
Liver*
Portal Vein
Triglycerides
Ultrasonography*