Correlation between Diffuse Hepatic Steatosis Severity and Hemoglobin Levels on Non-Contrast Abdominal CT
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.37287/ijghr.v8i6.2869Keywords:
body mass index, computed tomography, diffuse hepatic steatosis, hemoglobin, MASLDAbstract
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is a common chronic liver disease, and hemoglobin has been reported to be associated with hepatic steatosis. This study evaluated the correlation between the degree of diffuse hepatic steatosis assessed by non-contrast computed tomography (NCCT) and hemoglobin levels. This observational analytic cross-sectional study included 81 patients who underwent non-contrast abdominal CT at Adam Malik Hospital. Hepatic attenuation was measured using three 100-mm² regions of interest in the posterior right lobe, anterior right lobe, and left lobe. Diffuse hepatic steatosis was categorized as mild (41.4–48.9 HU), moderate (36.4–41.4 HU), or severe (21.4–36.4 HU). Hemoglobin was categorized into quartiles. Associations with hemoglobin, body mass index (BMI), diabetes mellitus, and sex were analyzed using Pearson chi-square tests. Inter-reader agreement was assessed using Cohen’s kappa. The median age was 51 years. Women comprised 54.3% of participants, and the median BMI was 25.71 kg/m². Severe diffuse hepatic steatosis was present in 64 participants (79.0%), mild in 9 (11.1%), and moderate in 8 (9.9%). Mean hemoglobin was 12.9 ± 2.2 g/dL. Inter-reader agreement for hepatic steatosis grading was very good (κ=0.837). No significant association was found between hepatic steatosis grade and hemoglobin quartile (p=0.422), diabetes mellitus (p=0.077), or sex (p=0.965). BMI was significantly associated with hepatic steatosis grade (p=0.011). In this study population, the degree of diffuse hepatic steatosis on NCCT was not significantly associated with hemoglobin level. BMI showed a significant association with hepatic steatosis severity.
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