MedTrace Logo

Accuracy of Imaging Techniques in Diagnosing Steatohepatitis and Fibrosis in NAFLD Patients

NCT04785937 · Status: RECRUITING · Phase: NA · Type: INTERVENTIONAL · Enrollment: 50

Last updated 2025-06-25

No results posted yet for this study

Summary

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a highly prevalent condition, and when fatty liver is associated with inflammation and hepatocellular injury (steatohepatitis), it can lead to fibrosis, cirrhosis, liver failure and hepatocellular carcinoma. Liver biopsy is the gold standard for NAFLD assessment but has several drawbacks. Several drugs for NASH are now in phase 2-3 trials, and if medical treatments become available, non-invasive tools to identify patients who may benefit from a therapeutic intervention will be strongly needed. Some imaging methods have shown promising potential in fibrosis and NASH diagnosis. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of non-invasive imaging methods, including ultrasound (US) and Magnetic Resonance (MR) techniques, in diagnosing NASH and fibrosis in patients with or at high risk of NAFLD, using liver biopsy as the reference standard. Consecutive patients with a clinical indication for liver biopsy assessment of NAFLD are enrolled in this non-inferiority study. They undergo both a liver US and a multiparametric unenhanced liver MR examination. As reference standard, histological diagnosis of fibrosis and steatohepatitis made according to the fatty liver inhibition of progression (FLIP) algorithm is used. Sensitivity and specificity of imaging parameters alone or in different combinations will be calculated with the aim of finding one or more tests with at least 90% sensitivity/specificity compared to liver biopsy.

Conditions

  • Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
  • Steatohepatitis, Nonalcoholic
  • Liver Fibroses

Interventions

DIAGNOSTIC_TEST

Ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance

liver ultrasound (US), including shear wave elastography (SWE) with liver stiffness measurement and US- fatty liver indicator (US-FLI), and a multiparametric unenhanced liver magnetic resonance examination including MR spectroscopy (MRS), Proton Density Fat Fraction (PDFF) and T2\* measurement with Multiecho technique, T1 mapping with Inversion Recovery method, and Intravoxel Incoherent Motion diffusion weighted imaging (IVIM-DWI), measuring different parameters.

Sponsors & Collaborators

  • Azienda USL Reggio Emilia - IRCCS

    lead OTHER_GOV

Principal Investigators

  • Pierpaolo Pattacini, MD · Azienda USL - IRCCS di Reggio Emilia

Study Design

Allocation
NA
Purpose
DIAGNOSTIC
Masking
NONE
Model
SINGLE_GROUP

Eligibility

Min Age
18 Years
Sex
ALL
Healthy Volunteers
No

Timeline & Regulatory

Start
2019-01-01
Primary Completion
2022-06-01
Completion
2026-12-31

Countries

  • Italy

Study Locations

More Related Trials

Read the full study record

This page highlights key information. For complete eligibility criteria, study locations, investigator contacts, and the full protocol, visit the original record on ClinicalTrials.gov.

View NCT04785937 on ClinicalTrials.gov