Objective
To evaluate the sonographic measurement of subcutaneous and visceral fat in correlation with the grade of hepatic steatosis.
Materials and Methods
In the period from October 2012 to January 2013, 365 patients were evaluated. The subcutaneous and visceral fat thicknesses were measured with a convex, 3–4 MHz transducer transversely placed 1 cm above the umbilical scar. The distance between the internal aspect of the abdominal rectus muscle and the posterior aortic wall in the abdominal midline was considered for measurement of the visceral fat. Increased liver echogenicity, blurring of vascular margins and increased acoustic attenuation were the parameters considered in the quantification of hepatic steatosis.
Results
Steatosis was found in 38% of the study sample. In the detection of moderate to severe steatosis, the area under the ROC curve was 0.96 for women and 0.99 for men, indicating cut-off values for visceral fat thickness of 9 cm and 10 cm, respectively.
Conclusion
The present study evidenced the correlation between steatosis and visceral fat thickness and suggested values for visceral fat thickness to allow the differentiation of normality from risk for steatohepatitis.
Abdominal fat; Steatosis; Metabolic syndrome; Ultrasonography
