A technique for the measurement of visceral fat by ultrasonography: comparison of measurements by ultrasonography and computed tomography

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to create a method of calculating intra-abdominal visceral fat volume by using ultrasound (US). The visceral fat volume measured by US was evaluated by comparison with the volume measured by computed tomography (CT). METHODS: Eighty-seven patients (52 males and 35 females) were enrolled in this study. Both US and CT were performed, and the visceral fat volume was measured. Both the distance and thickness of the parameters in US were measured as follows: 1) the distance between the internal surface of the abdominal muscle and the splenic vein, 2) the distance between the internal surface of the abdominal muscle and the posterior wall of aorta on the umbilicus, and 3) the thickness of the fat layer of the posterior right renal wall. RESULTS: The equation was calculated as follows: [visceral fat volume]=-9.008+1.191x[distance between the internal surface of the abdominal muscle and the splenic vein (mm)]+0.987x[distance between the internal surface of the abdominal muscle and the posterior wall of the aorta on the umbilicus (mm)]+3.644x[thickness of the fat layer of the posterior right renal wall (mm)]. There was a good correlation between the visceral fat volume calculated by the above equation and the volume by CT described (r=0.860, p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: The measurement of the visceral fat volume using US provided results as effectively as CT, and it was proven to be a useful method.