Journal Health of Woman. 2026. 2(183): 10-19. doi: 10.15574/HW.2026.2(183).1019
Prilutska A. B., Solovyova G. A., Ostashevska V. S., Salata Y. V., Kharchenko S. T., Govsіeіev D. O.
Bogomolets National Medical University, Kyiv, Ukraine

For citation: Prilutska AB, Solovyova GA, Ostashevska VS, Salata YV, Kharchenko ST, Govsіeіev DO. (2026). Non-invasive diagnostic tests as a screening method for metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease in pregnant women. Ukrainian Journal Health of Woman. 2(183): 10-19. doi: 10.15574/HW.2026.2(183).1019
Article received: Dec 16, 2025. Accepted for publication: Mar 22, 2026.

Aim – to assess the possibilities of comprehensive application of non-invasive ultrasound diagnostic methods (quantitative steatometry and two-dimensional shear wave elastography – 2D-SWE) in the detection and staging of liver steatosis and fibrosis in pregnant women with cardiometabolic risk factors to optimize early screening of metabolically associated steatosis in obstetric practice
Materials and methods. A comprehensive examination of 76 pregnant women in the second half of gestation was conducted. The patients were divided into two groups: Group I (main) – 46 pregnant women with a complicated somatic history (obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes mellitus, hypertension, preeclampsia, dyslipidemia); Group II (control) – 30 healthy women with a physiological course of pregnancy. The study was carried out on a Samsung Medison V7 ultrasound device using innovative technologies for quantitative assessment of steatosis (QUS) by tissue attenuation (TAI), tissue scattering (TSI) and fat fraction percentage, as well as parenchymal stiffness using 2D-SWE (S-Shearwave Imaging) with determination of fibrosis stages according to the METAVIR scale.
Results. Conventional ultrasound in B-mode demonstrated low sensitivity, not revealing pathology in 23.9% of patients in the main group. However, according to steatometry, mild steatosis (S1) was verified in all 46 pregnant women in group I. Using elastography (2D-SWE), against the background of steatosis, grade I fibrosis was detected in 71.8% (33 people) of the main group, grade II fibrosis in 13.0% (6 people), and fibrotic changes were absent in 15.2% (7 people). A clear dependence of fibrosis progression on the comorbid profile was established: stage F2 was recorded exclusively in the combination of hypertension with dyslipidemia or grade III obesity with preeclampsia.
Conclusions. The introduction of non-invasive methods (steatometry and elastography) in early gestation in pregnant women with metabolic risk factors is a pathogenetically justified screening tool. A multiparametric approach in early pregnancy provides accurate staging of MASLD and latent fibrosis, which allows for timely optimization of pregnancy, labor and postpartum management to reduce obstetric and perinatal complications.
The study was performed in accordance with the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki. Informed consent of women was obtained for the study.
The authors declare no conflict of interest
Keywords: metabolically associated steatotic liver disease, steatometry, two-dimensional shear wave elastography, hepatic steatosis, hepatic fibrosis, non-invasive diagnostic tests, pregnancy.

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