Patient Case Study: Fatty Liver

Heading to RSNA this December? We’re excited to join the conversation! As we prepare for this landmark event, we’re sharing a series of patient case studies that demonstrate the transformative impact of proactive healthcare and advanced whole-body MRI (WB-MRI).

Our latest case focuses on a 42-year-old male who sought a WB-MRI to proactively assess his health and better understand his risk factors. The scan uncovered moderate-to-severe fatty liver disease (MASLD), motivating him to make meaningful lifestyle changes and prioritize early intervention to improve his overall health trajectory.

Here’s the full story…

Patient History

• A 42-year-old male underwent a whole-body MRI (WB-MRI) screening, motivated by a desire to improve his health practices.
• His medical history includes an elevated A1c of 5.9% (untreated) and high cholesterol (managed with a daily statin).
• Family history is significant for diabetes, coronary artery disease (CAD), and liver disease.
• Despite previous advice to follow a Mediterranean diet, the patient reports consuming fast food 1–2 times per week. He consumes 3–5 alcoholic drinks weekly and performs 30 minutes of cardiovascular exercise 3–4 times per week.

Findings

• WB-MRI screening identified moderate-to-severe fatty liver disease, consistent with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD).

Outcome

The WB-MRI findings and visual evidence of moderate-to-severe fatty liver infiltration, consistent with metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) motivated the patient to adopt meaningful lifestyle changes and initiate early intervention. The following steps were implemented:

• Diet: Transitioned to a sustainable Mediterranean diet with the help of a meal delivery service.
• Exercise: Maintained cardiovascular exercise and added muscle-strengthening activities.
• Medication: Started semaglutide injections, titrating from 0.25 mg weekly to 1 mg weekly over three months.
• Follow-up: Monitored progress through biomarker testing and FibroScan, ordered by his primary care physician.

Six months later, follow-up primary care evaluations showed improvements in key health markers, including normalization of previously mildly elevated A1c, cholesterol levels, liver function tests, and FibroScan scores.

How the Prenuvo Scan Impacted Patient Care

• The patient was proactive in seeking WB-MRI screening to better understand his health risks and improve preventive care. The detailed findings provided clear motivation and enabled a targeted, timely intervention strategy. As a result, the patient significantly reduced his risk of developing type 2 diabetes, CAD, liver disease, and liver cancer.
• This case illustrates the pivotal role of WB-MRI in identifying early disease processes, guiding personalized care, and improving long-term health outcomes.

Stories like this from our patients and radiology team inspire us every day. Stay tuned—more impactful cases are coming soon!

Heading to RSNA? Visit us at booth #1239—we’d love to connect. See you there!

References:

Starekova J, Hernando D, Pickhardt PJ, Reeder SB. Quantification of liver fat content with CT and MRI: state of the art. Radiology. 2021;301(2):250-262. doi:10.1148/radiol.2021204288