Fatty liver disease in severe obese patients: Diagnostic value of abdominal ultrasound

Table 1 Demographic and clinical characteristics of severe obese patients who underwent to bariatric surgery

Characteristics	Value
Female gender - n (%)	79 (75.2)
Age, in yr - mean ± SD	37.2 ± 10.6
BMI, in kg/m2 - mean ± SD	43.8 ± 5.2
Elevated waist circumference - n (%)	105 (100)
Hypertension - n (%)	55 (52.4)
Diabetes - n (%)	10 (9.5)
Dyslipidemia - n (%)	75 (71.4)
Exposure to chemicals - n (%)	10 (9.5)
Elevated transaminases –n (%)	30 (28.6)
HDL cholesterol - mean ± SD	46.5 ± 5.2
Triglyceride - mean ± SD	157.3 ± 82.8
Fasting plasma glucose level - mean ± SD	102.6 ± 40.8
Insulin resistance - n (%)	52 (49.5)

BMI: Body mass index.

Table 2 Levels of sensibility, specificity, PPV and NPV for the ultrasound in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis by body mass index (BMI) values

Variables	35.0 kg/m2 ≤BMI ≤40 kg/m2		BMI≥40 kg/m2
	Value (%)	95% CI	Value (%)	95% CI
Sensibility	65	40.9-83.7	64.4	52.2-75.0
Specificity	75	21.9-98.7	100	56.1-100
PPV	92.9	64.2-99.6	100	90.6-100
NPV	30	8.1-64.6	21.2	9.6-39.4

PPV: Positive predictive value; NPV: Negative predictive value; 95% CI: Confidence interval of 95%.

Table 3 Levels of sensibility, specificity, PPV and NPV for the ultrasound in the diagnosis of hepatic steatosis by waist circumference (WC) in severe obese patients

Variables	WC ≤116.9 kg/m2		WC≥117.0 kg/m2
	Value (%)	95% CI	Value (%)	95% CI
Sensibility	56.7	37.7-74.0	80	62.5-90.9
Specificity	85.7	42.0-99.2	100	19.8-100
PPV	94.4	70.6-99.7	100	85.0-100
NPV	31.6	13.6-56.5	22.2	3.9-59.8

PPV: Positive predictive value; NPV: Negative predictive value; 95% CI: Confidence interval of 95%.

Table 4 Ultrasound evaluation and grades of steatosis among severe obese patients with steatosis on biopsy (%)

Imaging profile	Grade of steatosis on histological evaluation
	Grade I/II	Grade III/IV
Ultrasound without steatosis	97.00	3.00
Ultrasound with steatosis	77.00	23.00

P = 0.016.