Detecting fibrosis without a liver biopsy: getting to the fat of the issue

作者：Bi Yan; Venkatesh Sudhakar K; Shah Vijay H^*

来源：Hepatology International, 2013, 7(3): 792-794.

DOI：10.1007/s12072-013-9450-3

• Liver fibrosis
• Noninvasive
• MRI
• Serum marker
• NAFLD

It is critical to assess the degree of liver fibrosis for clinical management. However, liver biopsy has many drawbacks and is invasive. Promising non-invasive methods including serum markers and new imaging studies to predict liver fibrosis have been developed in past decades. This editorial provides a succinct overview and update of the new non-invasive technologies, especially the three-dimensional magnetic resonance imaging (3-D MRI) that has been studied by Dr. Kawamura's group in Japan. It also highlights the merit and weakness of this 3D-MRI technology in predicting liver fibrosis and indicates future studies to understand where 3D-MRI fits into the current armamentarium of non-invasive serum-based and imaging technologies.

• 出版日期2013-7