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. 2018 Dec 12;6(4):1801585. doi: 10.1002/advs.201801585

Table 1.

Comparison of imaging tools for the diagnosis of NAFLD. TAG, triglycerides; VCTE, vibration control transient elastography; ARFI, acoustic radiation force impulse; SWE, shear wave elastography; MRE, magnetic resonance elastography; CT, computed tomography; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging

Methods Cost Accuracy Quantification Sensitivity Application Limitation
Ultrasonography + + No Decrease with obesity Screening tool, inexpensive Operator dependent, low sensitivity,
Elastography
VCTE + ++ Yes High Specific for liver, fast acquisition, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, immediate results; XL probe for overweight patients Disable to tell fibrosis stage, not reliable in severely obese patients
ARFI ++ ++ Yes High Specific for liver, fast acquisition, advanced fibrosis and cirrhosis, immediate results Operator dependent; limited data, narrow range
SWE ++ ++ Yes High Operator dependent
MRE +++ +++ Yes High Not affected by obesity High cost, time consuming, not suitable for patients with implantable devices
CT ++ ++ Semi Low / Radiation exposure
MRI +++ ++ Yes High Gold standard for TAG evaluation Operator dependent, long imaging time, limited availability