[Health Talk Talk – GE Healthcare] Introducing MRI that can find 0.01% of hidden fatty liver

An MRI scanner, which enables accurate diagnosis of the condition of fatty liver in Korean middle-aged men, is introduced in Korea. Fatty liver refers to a condition in which liver consists of over 5% fat. If no measures are taken, it could evolve into hepatocirrhosis and hepatitis, as the fat cells release inflammatory substances.

GE Healthcare explained that IDEAL-IQ, a cutting-edge MRI technology, provides quantitative assessment that allows diagnosis of 0.01% of triglyceride fat content in the liver. Fatty liver has been diagnosed based on ultrasound imaging, blood tests and abdominal obesity, and patients’ symptoms. However since ultrasound imaging does not offer quantified data, diagnoses by doctors have been subjective.

GE Healthcare’s new MRI scanner introduced in Korean market uses a principle that water and fat in liver react differently to the magnetic field. Based on this difference, it calculates the proportion of fat in the liver to a 0.01% level.

reporter=Lee Jun Hyeok rainbow@hankyung.com