Conditions our MRI scans have found

Hepatic steatosis, commonly referred to as “fatty liver,” occurs when too much fat accumulates in the liver. The most common causes of excess liver fat are alcohol intake and a poor diet (highly processed foods such as sugars, refined grains, fried foods, desserts and snack foods contribute the most to this).

Fat fraction indicates the percent of cells within the liver that are fat cells. Fat fraction does not indicate whether someone has cirrhosis (scarring of the liver).

Mild fatty liver = fat fraction of 5 - 15%

Moderate fatty liver = fat fraction of 15 - 30%

Severe fatty liver = fat fraction greater than 30%

Sometimes a specific portion of the liver can have more fat than normal. It is unclear what causes this finding, but changes in blood flow has been a suggested cause. Sometimes hepatic focal fat can be related to hepatic steatosis (“fatty liver”), which is when excess fat is present throughout the entire liver.

Hepatic adenoma is an uncommon, benign (non-cancerous) liver lesion. It has been associated with the use of estrogen-containing medications (e.g. oral contraceptives), anabolic steroids, obesity, metabolic syndrome (e.g. diabetes), and certain genetic syndromes. Hepatic adenomas may be asymptomatic (do not cause symptoms) or may cause symptoms of right upper abdominal pain, nausea, and the sensation of feeling full.

Hepatomegaly means that the liver is enlarged. In adults, the liver normally has a span around 15 cm. The causes for hepatomegaly are varied and include infection, heart failure, cirrhosis and toxin consumption (i.e. alcohol, medication such as Tylenol, and supplements).

Hepatocellular adenoma is an uncommon, benign (non-cancerous) liver lesion. It has been associated with the use of estrogen-containing medications (e.g. oral contraceptives), anabolic steroids, obesity, metabolic syndrome (e.g. diabetes), and certain genetic syndromes. Hepatic adenomas may be asymptomatic (do not cause symptoms) or may cause symptoms of right upper abdominal pain, nausea, and the sensation of feeling full.