ULTRASOUND DIAGNOSTICS OF THE LIVER AS AN EFFECTIVE METHOD OF CONTROLLING NON-ALCOHOLIC FATTY LIVER DISEASE THERAPY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS PATIENTS

Abstract

Today, the method of ultrasound diagnostics is the most widespread method of internal organs and tissues visualization. In particular, the liver ultrasound is the safest and most informative method of diagnosing non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and an effective method of monitoring the effectiveness of NAFLD treatment, namely its manifestation of liver steatosis. The aim of this paper was to investigate the changes in the state of the liver by ultrasound in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with the use of additional combined therapy of atorvastatin and essential phospholipids. We were examined and treated 77 RA patients with NAFLD (64 women (83.1%) and 13 men (16.9%)), under the age of 55 years old. The patients were divided into 3 studied groups. The first group (n=25) received additional atorvastatin, the second group (n=26) – essential phospholipids, and the third group (n=26) – combination of atorvastatin and essential phospholipids for 6 months. Ultrasound assessment of steatosis was performed before treatment, after 3 and 6 months of treatment. In the III group, an improvement of the ultrasound images was observed already after 3 months of combined use of atorvastatin and essential phospholipids, which was not observed in the separate use of these medicines in the I and II groups. In 6 months of treatment with the studied medicines, positive dynamics of the liver parenchyma echogenicity was observed in all studied groups.