Imaging in the liver space

Welcome back to our Perspectum Education Hub. This week I want to talk about image-based technologies in the liver space. Recent clinical guidelines (AGA, AACE and AASLD) for the study of patients with suspected NAFLD recommend the use of multi-step pathways combining a selection of noninvasive technologies to assess different aspects of liver health. These recommendations include composite blood-derived markers of liver fibrosis (e.g., FIB-4, ELF), elastography-based methods for quantifying liver stiffness (such as VCTE and MRE), and imaging methods for assessing at-risk NASH and disease activity (such as LiverMultiScan, cT1). Recent studies have also highlighted the potential of combining blood biomarkers with imaging (such as FAST or MAST).

Highlighted Article

These noninvasive biomarkers of liver disease can be used together as part of a coordinated diagnostic pathway to provide a comprehensive picture of a patient’s liver disease state. The resulting diagnostic and risk-stratification capabilities have potential to positively influence clinical outcomes by providing more informed management and monitoring of the affected populations.

To highlight the benefits of image-based tests, I would like to share an article by Naim Alkhouri, M.D., VP of Academic Affairs, Chief of Transplant Hepatology, and Director of the Fatty Liver Program at Arizona Liver Health in Phoenix, Arizona. Dr. Alkhouri has published over 160 publications and presented his work at many national and international conferences. In this article, Dr. Alkhouri addresses three common misperceptions about fatty liver disease including patient symptoms, noninvasive diagnosis and monitoring, and the benefits of early detection. He concludes with the hope that image-based tests will become routine for patients with conditions like type 2 diabetes that further increase their risk for NAFLD and NASH.

-Dr. Carlos Duncker

Abbreviations: AGA, American Gastroenterological Association; FIB-4, Fibrosis-4 (FIB-4) Index for Liver Fibrosis; ELF, Enhanced Liver Fibrosis test; VCTE, vibration-controlled transient elastography; MRE, magnetic resonance elastography; FAST, FibroScan-aspartate aminotransferase; MAST, MRI-aspartate aminotransferase; cT1, corrected T1.

Disclosures

• LiverMultiScan, cT1 and PDFF are manufactured by Perspectum.
• Dr. Carlos Duncker is a Perspectum employee.
• Dr. Alkhouri, M.D. is a paid consultant for Perspectum.