Magnetic resonance helps detect, quantify fat in liver

Excess weight causes important alterations in an organism, one of which affects liver function. Fat accumulates in the liver producing hepatic steatosis which can cause inflammation, fibrosis and cirrhosis. To date, the most reliable method for determining hepatic fat has been hepatic biopsy. Imaging techniques such as abdominal ecography detect, but are less precise for determining the quantity of fat. Now a study has shown that magnetic resonance is a good method -- better still than hepatic biopsy -- for detecting fats in the liver and for quantifying them.
Source: ScienceDaily Headlines - Category: Science Source Type: news