Abbreviated mpMRI protocol for diffuse liver disease: a practical approach for evaluation and follow-up of NAFLD

Multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) may help determine the metabolic profile of patients with obesity and metabolic syndrome in addition to their clinical and laboratory biomarkers for diagnosis and monitoring. An abbreviated mpMRI protocol may be a faster, less-costly, and easier to perform alternative for the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of patients with NAFLD and for use in clinical trials. To evaluate an abbreviated mpMRI protocol tailored to analyze quantitative imaging features of patients with obesity and NAFLD and assess its use during treatment. This prospective study included patients with obesity and NAFLD to perform a quantitative analysis of liver fat and iron content, stiffness, as well as the visceral adipose tissue (VAT) during the course of a physical exercise-based treatment regimen. Longitudinal improvements in imaging features were observed in patients with good response to treatment, in accordance with improvements in biochemical and anthropometric biomarkers. An abbreviated mpMRI protocol consisting of liver fat and iron quantification, MR elastography, and VAT measurements is a feasible, less-costly, and accessible option for screening and monitoring of patients with obesity, NAFLD, and metabolic syndrome.