Background and study aim: Metabolic associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) is an increased serious clinical concern .Novel physical parameter, ‎based on the properties of ultrasonic signals acquired by the Fibroscan®, is called the controlled attenuation parameter ‎‎(CAP). This study aimed at assessing the role of CAP in disease staging in MAFLD patients‎‎‎‎.‎
Patients and Methods: This is a comparative  cross sectional study conducted on 84 patients diagnosed as having fatty liver by abdominal ‎ultrasonography and, features of MAFLD according to international consensus guideline. Patients classified as MAFLD ‎with chronic liver disease, HCV, HBV (Group 2) and MAFLD without other chronic liver disease (Group 1)‎.‎
Results: Most patients had marked hepatic steatosis. The diagnostic accuracy of CAP  in disease staging in  MAFLD patients ‎was 88% at cut off value of >297 dB/m with sensitivity 88.5% and specifity 82.8%.The diagnostic accuracy of ‎combined CAP and FLI(Fatty liver index) for liver steatosis diagnosis was 95% with sensitivity 96.2% and specifity 87.7%‎‎‎‎‎‎‎.
Conclusion: CAP may be used as a promising noninvasive tool for assessment and quantifying of steatosis in MAFLD patients. ‎Combination of both noninvasive imaging technique (CAP) and laboratory score (FLI) may improve the diagnostic ‎accuracy in assessing steatosis in MAFLD patients‎ ‎‎‎‎‎‎‎‎.