Science to practice: can MR elastography be used to detect early steatohepatitis in fatty liver disease?

SUMMARY: Fatty liver disease is common in Western countries. Some patients with this condition develop steatohepatitis, with ongoing liver injury that can lead to cirrhosis. Liver biopsy is currently required to differentiate between uncomplicated fatty liver disease and the more serious condition of steatohepatitis. Salameh and colleagues (1) studied the potential role of MR elastography for this diagnostic task in rat models of simple fatty liver and steatohepatitis. Their results suggest that MR elastography may have a potentially important role for noninvasive early detection of steatohepatitis in patients with fatty liver disease.