title: Non-invasive assessment of fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.
abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common chronic liver disease in Western countries, and its prevalence is increasing worldwide. It currently affects approximately 30% of adults and 10% of children and adolescents. The resulting increase in the number of patients with NAFLD is expected to translate into increased numbers of patients with liver cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. In this context, it is particularly important to identify patients at risk for progressive chronic liver disease. Currently, liver biopsy is the gold standard to diagnose non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) and to establish the presence and stage of fibrosis. Due to the remarkable increase in the prevalence of NAFLD and the concomitant efforts in developing novel therapies for patients with NASH, non-invasive, simple, reproducible, and reliable non-invasive methodologies are needed. This paper provides a concise overview of the role of non-invasive diagnostic tools for the determination of presence and extent of fibrosis in NAFLD patients, with particular emphasis on the methods currently available in clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, University of Florence, Firenze, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vizzutti
authors.forename: Umberto
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Arena
authors.forename: Valerio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Nobili
authors.forename: Roberto
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Tarquini
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trappoliere
authors.forename: Giacomo
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Laffi
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pinzani
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D002648:Child; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012307:Risk Factors; D012720:Severity of Illness Index
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers