Pathological findings of liver steatosis that is difficult to evaluate with ultrasound

Although new ultrasound (US) methods able to quantitatively assess liver fat content have been recently developed, B-mode US is still the major method for detecting liver steatosis during medical checkups. However, some pathological cases yield false-positive or false-negative liver steatosis results using B-mode US. In addition, histologically, the degree of fat deposits and the size of fat droplets in the liver can affect the sensitivity and specificity of the diagnosis of liver steatosis using B-mode US. As B-mode US evaluation of fatty liver relies on operator expertise, the operator should be aware that there are some cases of liver steatosis that are difficult to evaluate with B-mode US. Here, we describe the pathological findings of liver steatosis that is difficult to evaluate with US.

Automated summary

Although new quantitative ultrasound methods have been developed for assessing liver fat content, B-mode ultrasound remains the primary method for detecting liver steatosis during medical checkups. However, some pathological cases can lead to false-positive or false-negative results. The degree of fat deposits and the size of fat droplets in the liver can impact the accuracy of diagnosis using B-mode ultrasound. Operators should be aware of cases where liver steatosis is difficult to evaluate with B-mode ultrasound.