Any medical professionals out here that can translate this ultrasound report? I'm specifically interested/concerned with the part that I have bolded below. When i look up "nonspecific hepatocellular disease" the top results bring up hepatocellular carcinoma. The following sentence then states no evidence of a mass found, so is that just saying i have NAFLD? I already knew I have NAFLD based on a previous ultrasound/bloodwork a year ago, but Idk how concerned I should be with this new report. I plan on calling them monday to discuss.

"FINDINGS:
Liver is diffusely echogenic and attenuating compatible with nonspecific hepatocellular disease, most commonly related to steatosis. Within this limitation, no discrete hepatic mass identified sonographically. There appears to be focal sparing in the liver around the gallbladder fossa. No intrahepatic biliary ductal dilatation. The main portal vein is patent with normal direction of flow.

The gallbladder is sonographically unremarkable without wall thickening, stones or pericholecystic fluid. The common duct measures 5 mm, normal. Pancreas is obscured by overlying bowel gas.

The spleen is enlarged measuring 15.2 cm in maximal length, stable.

There is no upper abdominal ascites.

IMPRESSION:
1. Liver is diffusely echogenic and attenuating compatible with nonspecific hepatocellular disease, most commonly related to steatosis which is at least moderate in severity.

2. Stable splenomegaly.

Primary Diagnostic Code:
MAJOR ABNORMALITY, NO ATTN. NEEDED"

ChatGPT

" In simple terms, the liver looks a bit fuzzy and dense, which could be due to a common liver condition called fatty liver disease. There are no obvious lumps or blockages in the liver or bile ducts, and the blood flow in the main vein is normal.

The gallbladder looks normal without any signs of inflammation, stones, or fluid buildup around it. The duct that carries bile is a normal size.

The pancreas is hard to see clearly because of gas in the intestines.

The spleen is a bit larger than usual but hasn't changed in size.

Overall, it seems like the liver has fatty changes, and the spleen is a bit bigger than normal, but nothing has gotten worse since the last check-up."

Non-specific means that findings can be seen with multiple disease processes. For example, a headache is a very non-specific medical complaint. It could be a migraine, it could be a tension headache, a concussion, a tumor, a stroke, etc.

If you already have NASH/NAFLD, then your doctor probably ordered this to monitor for any progression.


The diagnostic code at the bottom is used by the radiologist to flag the study for review by the ordering physician. I don't know all the levels, but if you had something that needed emergent attention it would be different. Likewise if you had a completely normal US with no findings it would be different. From what I've been told by radiologists, some systems have a default that is worse than "normal" and they have to downgrade it.

Thanks for the replies. I appreciate it.

You probably already had a chance to hear from the doc, however…

My first question would be, why was this ordered?

Without knowing anything else, my first guess would be fatty liver. Has to be the most common cause of abnormal liver enzymes and liver imaging in the US

Nash is the current term for what used to be called fatty liver. Non alcoholic steatohepatitis