title: Liver and biliary ultrasonography in diabetic and non-diabetic obese women.
abstract: Liver and biliary ultrasonographic findings were studied in 217 asymptomatic obese women [mean age 35.0 +/- 8.3 years, range 15 to 57; mean body mass index (BMI, weight/height2) 40.7 +/- 6.9 kg/m2, range 30.3-71.9] from the Obesity Outpatient Clinic of the Professor Edgard Santos University Hospital. The women underwent an oral glucose tolerance test and were divided into two groups: 21 diabetic obese women plus 25 glucose intolerant (group I); and 171 non-diabetic obese women (group II). Ultrasonography (US) was performed on a Siemens Sonoline SL2 apparatus with a 3.5 MHz transducer. Plasma glucose levels and biochemical tests were determined by the enzymatic method. The frequency of liver US abnormalities was similar in both groups (52.2% of group I and 47.8% of group II). Steatosis was found in 34.8% of group I and 32.2% of group II; steatosis associated with hepatomegaly in 17.4% of group I and 10.5% of group II; and hepatomegaly in 4.1% of group I and absent in group II. Serum cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol, triglycerides, and liver function tests, including aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase and gama-glutamiltranspeptidase levels, were similar in both groups. However, triglycerides, uric acid and gamaglutamyl transpeptidase levels were higher in the diabetic and glucose-intolerant group. The frequency of asymptomatic gallstones was higher in group II than group I (24.4% vs 11.7%, p < 0.04). It is suggested that liver and biliary US should be included in the evaluation of all obese women, even when asymptomatic.
authors.affiliation: Endocrine Section, Faculty of Medicine, Bahia Federal University, Brazil. lmba@ufba.br
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Araújo
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: De Oliveira
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Nunes
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases / Q000097:blood; D001659:Biliary Tract / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005260:Female; D018149:Glucose Intolerance / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D005951:Glucose Tolerance Test; D006529:Hepatomegaly; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009765:Obesity / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D012016:Reference Values; D014463:Ultrasonography; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D005723:gamma-Glutamyltransferase; D001219:Aspartate Aminotransferases