Evaluation of the Frequency and Severity of MASLD in Patients with Chronic Hepatitis Delta

Background

and Aim: Hepatitis delta virus (HDV) infection is among the most aggressive forms of chronic viral hepatitis: fibrosis advances quickly, and cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and hepatic decompensation develop more often than with other hepatitis viruses. Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease (MASLD) is now the leading chronic liver disorder worldwide, and it may add to liver damage when it occurs alongside viral hepatitis. To date, however, data on MASLD in patients with chronic HDV infection remain scarce. We therefore aimed to describe the frequency of MASLD, assessed by transient elastography (FibroScan), in patients with chronic HDV infection and to examine whether it was associated with the severity of liver fibrosis.