Hepatic steatosis: Meaning in a Radiology Report

Hepatic steatosis

Also written as: fatty liver, fatty infiltration of the liver, MASLD, NAFLD

Hepatic steatosis means extra fat has built up in the liver, often called fatty liver. It is very common and often reversible.

Seen on: Ultrasound, CT, MRI

How it reads in a report

The liver is diffusely echogenic with posterior beam attenuation, consistent with moderate hepatic steatosis.

What it means

A healthy liver holds only a little fat. In steatosis, fat builds up inside the liver cells. On ultrasound, a fatty liver looks brighter than normal, and its deeper parts can be harder to see. On CT, fat makes the liver look darker, often darker than the spleen. MRI can measure the fat quite precisely. Fat can also be patchy, so an area with less fat may look like a spot.

When it matters

Fatty liver is very common and is often linked to extra weight, type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol or alcohol. Some medicines can also cause it. Most people have no symptoms, and the fat often goes down with weight loss and less alcohol. In some people it leads to inflammation and scarring over the years, so your doctor may check liver blood tests or a liver stiffness scan (elastography).

Questions to ask your doctor

How much fat is in my liver: mild, moderate or severe?
Is there any sign of scarring, and would a liver stiffness scan help?
Could any of my medicines or my drinking be adding to it?

General information, not medical advice. What a finding means for you depends on your symptoms, your history and the images themselves, so talk your results through with a doctor.