The Study
Portal lymphadenopathy predicts non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and advanced fibrosis in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
This study looked at people who already had liver disease and found that those with swollen lymph nodes near the liver also tended to have worse liver damage. But it didn’t watch them over time to see if the swollen nodes caused the damage—or if the liver damage caused the nodes to swell. So it only shows a link, not a cause.
Analysis score
Maximum 44 for a cross-sectional study.
Where the score came from
When the liver gets very fatty and inflamed, tiny lymph nodes near it can swell up. This study looked at people who had a liver biopsy and found that if these lymph nodes are big on a scan, the liver damage is likely worse.
Where does this study sit?
Reviews of RCTs (Meta-analyses)
Max 100Randomized Trials
Max 90Reviews of Cohort Studies
Max 85Cohort Studies
Max 72Reviews of Case-Control Studies
Max 63Case-Control Studies
Max 58Cross-Sectional & Case Series
Max 50Expert Opinion
Max 543 / 100
Quality score
Snapshots of a population at a single point in time, or descriptions of small groups. Can identify correlations and prevalence, but cannot determine cause and effect.
Key takeaways
Summary
Based on the study abstract and findings.
- 1Yes — if your scan shows no swollen lymph nodes near the liver, you’re very unlikely to have the most serious form of fatty liver disease, which could help avoid a biopsy.
- 233% of patients had swollen lymph nodes.
- 3Among those with swollen nodes, 28% had severe liver damage (NAS≥5), but only 9% of those without swollen nodes did.
- 4If lymph nodes are NOT swollen, there's a 91% chance the liver damage is NOT severe.
Score breakdown, methodology, conflicts of interest, evidence analysis & raw study data
Publication
Journal
PLoS ONE
Year
2018
Authors
S. Daher, Namma Lev Cohen, Muhammad Massarwa, M. Mahamid, M. Nasser, Wadi Hazou, R. Oren, R. Safadi, T. Khoury
Related Content
Claims (5)
In adults with confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, enlarged lymph nodes near the liver seen on CT or MRI scans are consistently found alongside more severe liver damage, as measured by higher scores for cell injury and inflammation.
In adults with confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, the presence of enlarged lymph nodes near the liver is statistically linked to a specific type of liver cell damage called hepatocyte ballooning.
Among adults diagnosed with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease through liver biopsy, those without enlarged lymph nodes near the liver portal have a 91% chance of not having severe liver inflammation or damage as measured by the NAFLD Activity Score.
In adults with confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, enlarged lymph nodes near the liver’s portal veins are consistently found alongside inflammation in the same region.
In adults with confirmed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, combining portal lymphadenopathy status with the APRI fibrosis score improves the ability to correctly identify advanced liver fibrosis compared to using the APRI score alone.
Not medical advice. For informational purposes only. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional before making health decisions.