Diagnosis of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Gwak,  Geum Youn

doi:2014.15.2.82

J Korean Diabetes > Volume 15(2); 2014 > Article

Focused Issue

The Journal of Korean Diabetes 2014;15(2):82-92.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.4093/jkd.2014.15.2.82 Published online June 25, 2014.

비알코올성 지방간(Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, NAFLD) : 비알코올성 지방간의 진단

곽금연

Diagnosis of Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

Geum Youn Gwak

Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Samsung Medical Center, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. gy.gwak@samsung.com

Abstract

Although the classical gold standard for diagnosing and staging non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and assessing fibrosis is liver biopsy, the procedure has several drawbacks, such as sample error, subjectivity in interpretation, high cost, and a small but real risk of complications.In an attempt to replace liver biopsy and to subcategorize patients with NAFLD into different prognoses, many non-invasive methods using various biomarkers, scoring systems, and imaging methods, such as elastography, have been attempted in the last decade. This article summarizes non-invasive diagnostic tests for the diagnosis of NAFLD/Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, as well as the limitations and merits of liver biopsy.

Key Words: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis, Diagnosis, Liver biopsy