Role of Hepatic Colour Duplex Ultrasound in Assessment of Non Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease-NAFLD

Abstract

n the light of the increasing prevalence of NAFLD, necessary steps for prevention need to be taken before the epidemic of NAFLD becomes uncontainable. Given the rising incidence and prevalence of T2DM, obesity and MS among populations in Africa and Middle East regions, it is highly recommended that policy makers should make an accurate estimate of the prevalence of NAFLD in order to predict the number of those who will develop an advanced liver disease or NAFLD-related morbidities and to develop strategies for interventions to treat this condition. Liver transplant will come with huge financial cost and most countries in particular in Africa will find themselves struggling to survive such metabolic epidemic of NAFLD. Liver ultrasonography is an accurate, reliable tool to detect moderate to severe fatty liver, with sensitivity and specificity of 84.8% and 93.6%, respectively (Ruben et al., 2011). Duplex doppler ultrasonography has become an important diagnostic method in the noninvasive evaluation of hepatic vasculature and certain hepatic parenchymal diseases. The characteristic triphasic Doppler spectrum of Hepatic veins in healthy subject consists of antegrade systolic and diastolic flow peaks followed by a short reverse flow that