Tomografia computadorizada na esteatose hepática e sua relação com outros achados abdminais

Abstract

Objective: Hepatic steatosis is a very common condition observed in diagnostic imaging. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if there is any association between the degrees of hepatic steatosis and the severity of tomographic findings from other structures analyzed in abdominal studies. Materials and Methods: A total of 271 patients were enrolled in our study. The degree of steatosis was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. An active search was performed on all exams, looking for additional abnormalities in other abdominal structures, as well as measurement of visceral and subcutaneous fat thickness. Results: The distribution of degrees of hepatic steatosis severity was similar between the sexes, with 176 (64.9%) being mild, 70 (25.8%) being moderate, and 25 (9.2%) being severe. Hepatomegaly was more common in the groups with moderate and severe steatosis (p<0.001). There was a significant association between atheromatosis and hepatic steatosis (p<0.05); severe atheromatosis was seen in patients with severe steatosis. We verified that severe hepatic steatosis is associated with thicker abdominal visceral fat (p<0,001). However, there was no significant association with the diseases of other abdominal structures. Conclusion: The degree of hepatic steatosis can be associated with additional findings in abdominal tomographic studies. Significant associations were made between moderate / severe hepatic steatosis and severe atherosclerotic aortic disease, hepatomegaly and visceral fat thickness. Therefore, when confronted with a computed tomography (CT) scan showing significant hepatic fat infiltration, one should to pay attention to the possibility of changes in these additional structures.