Abstract: Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical application of FibroTouch (FT) in combination with abdominal color ultrasound and computed tomography (CT) in diagnosis of individuals with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in plateau regions. Methods A total of 343 persons with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) were enrolled in the Department of Gastroenterology in the Qinghai Provincial People's Hospital between August 2018 and May 2019. The NAFLD was diagnosed by the examination of FT, abdominal color ultrasound, or CT. The diagnostic sensitivity, consistency, and diagnosis rate of FT relative to ultrasound or CT examination were analyzed by AUROC and Kappa value. Results The diagnosed rate of NAFLD by FT, ultrasound and CT examination were 63.9%, 40.2% and 26.2%, respectively, in our series; the diagnosis sensitivity and specificity of FT relative to ultrasoundex amination were 82.6% and 48.8% (AUROC=0.657, 95% CI: 0.610-0.704), and those relative to CT examination were 88.9% and 45.1% (AUROC=0.670, 95% CI: 0.624-0.715); the diagnostic results of FT had a lower consistency with both ultrasound or CT diagnosis by 62.4% (Kappa coefficient = 0.29) and 56.6% (Kappa coefficient = 0.23) ,respectively; the diagnostic rates of FT, ultrasound and CT examination were 88.7%, 55.9% and 36.3%, respectively; the diagnostic rates were raised to 98.4% and 92.7 when the FT combined with ultrasound examination or CT examination, respectively. Conclusions There is a lower consistency between FT and ultrasound or CT examination in diagnosis of NAFLD, while the diagnostic rate of NAFLD could be improved by FT combined with ultrasound or CT examination in persons in plateau regions.

Key words: Nonalcoholic fatty liver diseases, FibroTouch, Plateau regions, Diagonsis