In Brief

Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) and MRI can be used to accurately grade the severity of steatosis in people with liver disease, provided that stage of fibrosis is considered, Australian researchers have shown. The Queensland researchers found a “close relationship” between the percentage of steatosis estimated by MRS, MRI and histology in 94 people with liver disease. However they also found that separate equations were required for people with low and high stages of fibrosis, as otherwise patients with moderate and advanced fibrosis stage 0-1 would have their percentage of steatotic hepatocytes underestimated. They noted that while the MRS had the overall best diagnostic accuracy, it required specific software that was not available on all clinical MR systems. “Although slightly less precise, assessment of steatosis with Dixon IP/OP and +-FS requires only simple calculations and may therefore have wider applicability,” they said. Journal of Hepatology 51 (2009) 389-397. People diagnosed with colorectal cancer before the age of 50 are five times more likely to develop another primary colorectal tumour compared with the general population, a study shows....