Your liver scan results include three main numbers: liver stiffness, attenuation, and VDFF, a fat-quantification score. In general terms, higher stiffness suggests more scar tissue, and higher attenuation or VDFF suggests more fat in the liver. What those specific numbers mean for you is something your physician interprets in the context of your full health picture, not a number to diagnose yourself from.
What Do the Three Measurements Actually Represent?
Liver stiffness reflects how much the tissue resists gentle shear waves passed through it during your scan. Stiffer tissue generally indicates more fibrosis, or scarring, though other factors like recent meals or certain medical conditions can temporarily affect the reading too.
Attenuation measures how much the ultrasound signal weakens as it passes through the liver, which correlates with fat content. VDFF is a fat fraction score that builds on attenuation to estimate liver fat more precisely, developed to correlate closely with MRI-based fat measurement.
Why Does This Article Not Give Exact Number Ranges?
Because a single number in isolation is not the same as a diagnosis. Interpretation depends on your specific risk factors, medical history, and sometimes repeat testing over time.
A validation study published in Gastro Hep Advances compared measurements against MRI-based reference standards specifically because context and calibration matter for accurate interpretation, not just the raw number on its own. Your physician is best positioned to walk you through what your specific results mean.
What Happens Right After Your Scan?
Because our liver scan produces results in real time, your physician typically reviews your numbers with you the same visit, often right after the scan is complete. This is one of the practical advantages of point-of-care testing: no waiting days for a report to come back before you understand your results.
What Might Happen Next, Depending on Your Results?
Your physician will generally do one of a few things based on your results and overall risk profile:
- Recommend lifestyle changes and a follow-up scan at a set interval
- Suggest more frequent monitoring if results suggest elevated risk
- Refer you for additional testing, such as bloodwork or, in some cases, a liver biopsy, if results are inconclusive or higher risk
- Reassure you that your results look low-risk, with routine follow-up as appropriate
None of these outcomes are cause for alarm on their own. They are simply different next steps based on where your results fall.
Does a Noninvasive Scan Replace Further Testing?
Not always. Noninvasive scans like ours are excellent first-line, low-burden tools, but a liver biopsy remains the most direct way to confirm active inflammation in cases where that distinction changes the treatment plan. Your physician will let you know if that level of testing is relevant to your specific results.
For more on how the scan itself works, see our overview of how the scan works.
If you have not yet had a screening, our fatty liver screening page explains how to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I get my results the same day?
Yes. Our liver scan produces results in real time, so your physician can typically review them with you during the same visit.
Does a higher stiffness number always mean cirrhosis?
No. Stiffness exists on a spectrum, and elevated readings can reflect earlier stages of fibrosis, not necessarily advanced disease. Your physician interprets your specific number in context.
Can one scan tell me definitively whether I have MASH?
Not on its own. Noninvasive scans estimate stiffness and fat and help guide next steps; a biopsy remains the most direct way to confirm active inflammation.
Is this article a substitute for a physician interpretation of my results?
No. This content is educational and general in nature, not medical advice. Talk with your physician about what your specific results mean for you.
References
- Validation of Liver Stiffness and Attenuation in Patients With MASLD, Gastro Hep Advances (https://www.ghadvances.org/article/S2772-5723(26)00073-7/fulltext)
- Sonic Incytes, FDA 510(k) Clearance Announcement
Dr. Ralph Peterson brings more than 40 years of medical experience to MacArthur Gastroenterology, including over 30 years specializing in gastroenterology and internal medicine. For more than 12 years, his practice has focused on treating viral hepatitis, achieving a cure rate above 90% in Hepatitis B and C cases. He is a sought-after speaker and medical presenter on colorectal cancer and on the treatment and cure of Hepatitis B and C.
Dr. Peterson has served on the advisory boards of leading pharmaceutical companies, including Gilead, and is also Medical Director of uFirst Health Partners, a nonprofit organization dedicated to fatty liver disease awareness and education. He also leads research and development at NEXT2ME, LLC, where he invented the 1440 Vibrational Energetic Spray supplement line.
His work has taken him well beyond the clinic, including service as a medical team leader in Sierra Leone, evaluating medical needs across multiple provinces, and as a volunteer physician in Bohol, Philippines, training local providers in the treatment of gastrointestinal disease and hepatitis.
A former Master's Track & Field world record holder in the 4x100 relay, Dr. Peterson has been recognized by the American Cancer Society, 100 Black Men of America, 100 Black Men of the Bay Area, and the Alameda County Board of Supervisors for his outstanding service to men's health.
- Ralph L. Peterson, MD
- Ralph L. Peterson, MD
- Ralph L. Peterson, MD
- Ralph L. Peterson, MD
