Fat Quantification

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the leading form of chronic liver disease worldwide. The disease is linked to metabolic syndrome and is typically managed by way of lifestyle interventions. Quantitative methods of measuring hepatic steatosis may be beneficial for assessing the therapeutic performance of various interventions. MRI and MR spectroscopy have come to serve as a reference standard given high accuracy. However, ultrasound-based methods are sought to provide a lower cost alternative. In this review, we discuss the current state of liver fat quantification with a focus on ultrasound-based techniques. Both qualitative and quantitative methods are discussed and compared, including variations in methods as provided by different ultrasound vendors. Key studies in the literature demonstrating agreement between these methods and MR fat quantification are discussed.