The contribution of sonography to the measurement of intra-abdominal fat

✍ Scribed by Fabio Armellini; Mauro Zamboni; Laura Rigo; Tiziana Todesco; Ottavio Bosello; Ivo Andrea Bergamo-Andreis; Carlo Procacci

• Publisher: John Wiley and Sons
• Year: 1990
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 406 KB
• Volume: 18
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0091-2751
• DOI: 10.1002/jcu.1870180707

✦ Synopsis

A study was conducted on a group of 50 obese females with a mean body mass index of 39 -+ 16, aged 19 years to 60 years, in order to determine if sonography could be adopted as a direct means for measuring intra-abdominal fat deposits. Adipose tissue evaluation was performed by computed tomography (CT) and ultrasonography (using 3.5-MHz and 5-MHz probes) a t the L4 level. CT intra-abdominal fat area (VAT) and ultrasonography visceral thickness from abdominal muscle to aorta were the values mainly considered. Ultrasonographic intra-abdominal thickness correlated well with VAT ( r = 0.669, p < 0.001), supporting the hypothesis that ultrasonography could be useful in the direct evaluation of intra-abdominal fat deposits. Indexing Words: Intra-abdominal fat -Fat distribution -Sonography * Computed tomography Many clinical and epidemiological studies have confirmed the existence of a close relationship between the distribution of body fat, metabolic disorders, and increased risk of morbidity and mortality.'-5 Location of adipose tissue in the intra-abdominal region seems to play a major role in these disorders and increased risks. Subjects are considered to be at risk, even if they are not obese, if they have increased adipose deposits in the abdominal area.6-8

Computed tomography (CT) has been recognized as a reliable and reproducible means for determining the amount of subcutaneous fat and intra-abdominal adipose