Virtual Medical Centre

Fatty Liver (steatosis, steatohepatitis)

• What is Fatty Liver?
• Who gets Fatty Liver?
• Predisposing Factors
• Probable Outcomes
• How is Fatty Liver Diagnosed?
• How is Fatty Liver treated?
• Fatty Liver References

What is Fatty Liver?

Fatty liver is also known as NASH, which stands for Non-Alcoholic Steatorrhoeic Hepatosis or Non-Alcoholic-Fatty-Liver-Disease (NAFLD). Fatty liver is due to excessive accumulation of fatty material in the hepatocytes (liver cells), which is the most common response of the liver to injury.

Who gets Fatty Liver?

In countries where obesity is becoming a serious health issue, Fatty liver is predicted to affect approximately 25% of the general population. Fatty liver or NASH, is very common in overweight persons over the age of 30. The liver is invaded by an excessive amount of fat and a normal healthy liver tissue is partially replaced with areas of unhealthy fats. In such a liver, the liver cells and the spaces in the liver are filled with fat so the liver becomes slightly enlarged and heavier.

Predisposing Factors

Chemical Causes: Drugs or chemical compounds that can cause fatty liver include alcohol, tetracyclines, cortisone, phosphorous and carbon tetrachloride. Of the aforementioned compounds, alcohol is by far the most damaging in regards to fatty liver. Inflammation usually accompanies exposure to these toxins and is responsible for the associated symptoms of fever, fatigue and jaundice. Nutritional causes: Nutritional causes of fat in the liver result from starvation, obesity, protein malnutrition and intestinal bypass operation for obesity. When considering obesity, the fatty deposits are often associated with some inflammation and possible liver scarring. The endocrine causes: The endocrine causes of fatty liver include diabetes mellitus and fatty liver of pregnancy. In both these circumstances cases, a large amount of fat can be rapidly deposited in the liver leading to expansion of the liver with associated tenderness in the upper right portion of the abdomen. Only juvenile diabetics will suffer from this. Fatty liver during pregnancy occurs near term and may result in premature termination of the pregnancy.