Liver Surface Nodularity Score as a Predictor of Liver and Cardiovascular Events in NAFLD
Juliana Sitta1, Edward Florez1, Charlene Claudio1, Benjamin Rushing1, Khalid Manzoul1, Niki Patel1, Rana Gordji1, Amy Krecker1, Gerri Wilson1, Elliot Varney1, Stella Powell1, Seth Lirette2, Candace Howard1
1Department of Radiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
2Department of Data Science, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, MS
For this IRB-approved HIPAA-compliant retrospective study, non-enhanced CT images from adult patients with NAFLD were obtained to evaluate the liver surface nodularity (LSN) score as a predictor of future liver and cardiovascular events in patients with NAFLD (N=621). The LSN score was measured using a previously validated quantitative software. Cox-proportional hazard model analysis was used to determine the association between the LSN score and subsequent development of the first liver or cardiovascular events. In patients with NAFLD, 12% (75/618) had a liver or cardiovascular event during a median follow up of 1.1 years, and 30% (184/618) of patients had a LSN ≥3. Patients with a LSN score ≥3 were 2.1 times more likely to develop a liver or cardiovascular event than patients with a LSN score <3 (HR=2.14, 95%CI 1.03, 4.46, p<0.043). Time to the first liver or cardiovascular event for 10% of patients with a LSN score ≥3 was 1.9 years vs. 4.4 years for patients with a LSN score <3 (p<0.038). The LSN score is predictive of future liver and cardiovascular events in patients with NAFLD and could be used as a prognostic tool to identify high-risk patients and guide clinical management.