title: Non-invasive diagnostic approach to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: current evidence and future perspectives.
abstract: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is a new epidemic liver disease, thus, its early diagnosis and the identification of those patients with the worst prognosis is mandatory. Liver biopsy is still the diagnostic gold standard, even if it is associated to a significant rate of complications; moreover, the interpretation of histological samples is not always univocal. Several non-invasive alternative scores have been proposed for the diagnostic approach to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. This article evaluates the performance of the currently available non-invasive diagnostic strategies. The authors also suggest a potential diagnostic algorithm, with two or more non-invasive techniques, to increase the overall accuracy for identifying patients with worst prognosis, and to minimize the recourse to liver biopsy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, University of Bologna, S.Orsola Hospital, Via Massarenti 9, 40138 Bologna, Italy.
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Festi
authors.forename: Ramona
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Schiumerini
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Marasco
authors.forename: Eleonora
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Scaioli
authors.forename: Francesca
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pasqui
authors.forename: Antonio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Colecchia
mesh_terms: D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood*; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000175:diagnosis*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers
keywords: NAFLD; NASH; Non-invasive diagnosis; liver fibrosis; steatosis; transient elastography