title: Diagnostic value of MRI proton density fat fraction for assessing liver steatosis in chronic viral C hepatitis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess the diagnostic performance of a T1-independent, T2*-corrected multiecho magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique for the quantification of hepatic steatosis in a cohort of patients affected by chronic viral C hepatitis, using liver biopsy as gold standard.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eighty-one untreated patients with chronic viral C hepatitis were prospectively enrolled. All included patients underwent MRI, transient elastography, and liver biopsy within a time interval <10 days.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Our cohort of 77 patients included 43/77 (55.8%) males and 34/77 (44.2%) females with a mean age of 51.31 ± 11.27 (18-81) years. The median MRI PDFF showed a strong correlation with the histological fat fraction (FF) (r = 0.754, 95% CI 0.637 to 0.836, P < 0.0001), and the correlation was influenced by neither the liver stiffness nor the T2* decay. The median MRI PDFF result was significantly lower in the F4 subgroup (P < 0.05). The diagnostic accuracy of MRI PDFF evaluated by AUC-ROC analysis was 0.926 (95% CI 0.843 to 0.973) for S ≥ 1 and 0.929 (95% CI 0.847 to 0.975) for S = 2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our MRI technique of PDFF estimation allowed discriminating with a good diagnostic accuracy between different grades of hepatic steatosis.
authors: Department of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Francesco
authors: 0000-0002-2050-8966
authors: F
authors: Paparo
authors: Unit of Infectious Diseases, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: 0000-0002-1600-0449
authors: G
authors: Cenderello
authors: School of Radiology, University of Genoa, Via Leon Battista Alberti 4, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Matteo
authors: 0000-0001-6264-2381
authors: M
authors: Revelli
authors: Department of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Lorenzo
authors: L
authors: Bacigalupo
authors: Unit of Pathology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Mariangela
authors: M
authors: Rutigliani
authors: Department of Medical Physics, ASL N. 5 "Spezzino", Via XXIV Maggio 139, 19124 La Spezia, Italy.
authors: Daniele
authors: 0000-0002-9627-5847
authors: D
authors: Zefiro
authors: School of Radiology, University of Genoa, Via Leon Battista Alberti 4, 16132 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Luca
authors: 0000-0003-4598-4392
authors: L
authors: Cevasco
authors: Section of Radiology, Department of Biotechnology and Legal Medicine, Policlinico Universitario "P. Giaccone", Via del Vespro 129, 90127 Palermo, Italy.
authors: Maria
authors: 0000-0003-2374-0987
authors: M
authors: Amico
authors: Unit of Pathology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Roberto
authors: R
authors: Bandelloni
authors: Unit of Infectious Diseases, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Giovanni
authors: G
authors: Cassola
authors: Unit of Microcitemia and Hereditary Anaemias, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Gian Luca
authors: GL
authors: Forni
authors: Department of Radiology, E.O. Ospedali Galliera, Mura della Cappuccine 14, 16128 Genoa, Italy.
authors: Gian Andrea
authors: 0000-0002-3786-7658
authors: GA
authors: Rollandi
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D016174:Hepacivirus / Q000472:pathogenicity; D019698:Hepatitis C, Chronic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology / Q000821:virology; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000473:pathology; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011522:Protons; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: D011522:Protons