Can new scanners spot fatty liver without an MRI?
NCT ID NCT07495332
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study compares two newer imaging methods—photon-counting CT and ultrasound—against the standard MRI to see how well they detect fat and scarring in the liver. About 45 adults with liver disease will receive all three scans. The goal is to find a faster, cheaper, and equally accurate way to diagnose fatty liver disease.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.
- Active substance
- Photon-counting CT, ultrasound, and MRI imaging tests
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to quicker and more accessible ways to diagnose fatty liver disease without needing an MRI.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, early-stage study (45 people) comparing imaging methods, not testing a treatment. The new techniques may not match MRI's accuracy in real-world use.
This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.
Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Phase
-
Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
-
About 45 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
-
Mar 2026
- Expected to finish
-
May 2027
An estimate. End dates often move.
- Lead sponsor
-
Other sponsor
The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.
Who can take part
This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.
- Ages
-
18 years and older
- Sex
-
Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
-
Not accepted
This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.
Show the full entry requirements Hide the full entry requirements
Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.
Inclusion Criteria: * Age of 18 years or older * Has clinically indicated CT schedule including the liver (with contrast or with and without contrast) * Patient eligible for MR imaging * History of chronic diffuse liver disease, steatotic liver disease, and/ or liver fibrosis * Capable of consent Exclusion Criteria: * Contraindications to any of the required imaging examinations * BMI \> 45 (based on MRI scanner capacity)
Get updates
Get notified about this study
Sign up to get updates when this study changes or when new studies for Fatty liver are added.
Genom att skicka in godkänner du våra Användarvillkor
Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
-
The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
-
The official record
ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.
-
A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
-
Duke University Medical Center
RECRUITINGDurham, North Carolina, 27710, United States
More trials for these conditions
Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
- Underactive thyroid may worsen liver scarring in fatty liver disease
- Sound waves may replace the needle in liver scarring tests
- Can a new ultrasound device spot liver damage without a biopsy?
- Can stem cells help infants with biliary atresia avoid a liver transplant?
- A protein supplement may fight fatty liver in teens
- A simple scan and blood test could catch silent liver scarring before It's too late