Epidemiology and spatial heterogeneity of hepatic fat and iron deposition: an MRI-based analysis

MRI has emerged as a reliable, noninvasive means of liver fat and iron quantification. We retrospectively studied 1006 patients that underwent standard-of-care liver MRI at a single tertiary care center. Multivariate analysis was used to identify factors predictive of the severity and spatial heterogeneity of hepatic fat deposition (HFD) and hepatic iron deposition (HID). Greater spatial heterogeneity of HFD and HID generally occurred as the severity of HFD and HID increased, suggesting higher risk for misclassification by biopsy with more advanced disease. Overall, by globally evaluating the liver, MRI constitutes a robust tool for assessing hepatic fat and iron deposition.