Metabolic liver imaging: What you need to know.
Authors
Affiliations (6)
Affiliations (6)
- Department of Radiology, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162, Milan, Italy. Electronic address: [email protected].
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, White 270, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, 55 Fruit Street, White 270, Boston, MA 02114, USA; Department of Radiology, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA; Center for Ultrasound Research & Translation, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA 02114, USA.
- Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China; Foundation Model Research Center, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100190, China.
- Department of Radiology, ASST Grande Ospedale Metropolitano Niguarda, Piazza Ospedale Maggiore 3, 20162, Milan, Italy; Department of Oncology and Hemato-Oncology, Università degli Studi di Milano, Via Festa del Perdono 7, 20122, Milan, Italy.
Abstract
Metabolic liver diseases represent a growing global health concern with significant diagnostic and prognostic implications. Imaging offers non-invasive alternatives to biopsy for diagnosis, staging, and follow-up. This review summarizes current imaging techniques used in metabolic liver disease, including ultrasound (US), computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and advanced modalities such as MRI elastography and PET/MRI. Particular focus is given to quantitative biomarkers such as elastography, proton density fat fraction (PDFF) and R2* mapping, their clinical utility, and future directions in artificial intelligence and radiomics. A practical framework for imaging-based assessment is proposed to aid clinicians and radiologists in optimizing patient management.