Linking NAFLD and Nephrolithiasis: A CT-Based Investigation

Objective: To evaluate the association between NAFLD and renal stone detected on computed tomography. Method: This study encompassed 240 patients who underwent noncontrast CT abdomen-pelvis computed tomography between November 2023 and April 2024. The nonalcoholic fatty liver disease group included those who had a reduced mean Hounsfield unit (HU) of the right lobe, lateral and left medial segment of the liver as compared to that of the spleen. The control group included patients who had liver parenchyma HU larger than spleen HU. All patients were examined for the presence or absence of radiopaque kidney, ureter, or urinary bladder stones, whether symptomatic or not. Results: From 240 patients, 122 were healthy (50.8%) without NAFLD or renal stone disease. NAFLD was found in 88 individuals with a mean age of 46.8±17.7 years, 42 (47.7%) males and 46 (52.3%) women. Renal stone disease was detected in 70 patients, accounting for 29.1% of the total. The average age of these patients was 43.7± 19.3 years, with 32 males and 38 females. Forty individuals with NAFLD had renal stones (45.5%) which was significantly more than the prevalence in those who are NAFLD negative 13 (19.7%), p <0.001. Females with NAFLD had a considerably greater renal stone rate (52.2%) compared to those without NAFLD (16.3%), P < 0.001. Conclusion: Patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) had a significantly higher incidence of renal stone disease compared to persons with a healthy liver, especially among women.