* This is the Consumer Version. *
Fatty Liver
(Steatosis)
- Manifestations of Liver Disease
- Overview of Liver Disease
- Ascites
- Cholestasis
- Fatty Liver
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
- Jaundice in Adults
- Liver Failure
- Portal Hypertension
(See alsoOverview of Liver Disease.)
Fatty liver is an abnormal accumulation of certain fats (triglycerides) inside liver cells.
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People with fatty liver may feel tired or have mild abdominal discomfort but otherwise have no symptoms.
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A liver biopsy may be needed to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the cause and extent of the damage.
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Doctors focus on controlling or eliminating the cause of fatty liver, such as metabolic syndrome or consumption of large amounts of alcohol.
In the United States and other Western countries, the most common causes of fatty liver are
The combination of excess body weight, insulin resistance, and high triglyceride levels is called metabolic syndrome. All of these conditions cause fat to accumulate in liver cells by causing the body to synthesize more fat or by processing (metabolizing) and excreting fat more slowly. As a result, fat accumulates and is then stored inside liver cells. Just consuming a high-fat diet does not result in fatty liver.
Rarely, fat accumulates in the liver during late pregnancy. This disorder, called fatty liver of pregnancy or microvesicular steatosis, is usually considered a different disorder from fatty liver.
The fatty liver may or may not be inflamed. Inflammation of the liver due to fatty liver is called steatohepatitis. This inflammation may develop into scarring (fibrosis). Fibrosis often progresses to cirrhosis (scarring that distorts the structure of the liver and impairs its function).
Fatty liver (with or without fibrosis) due to any condition except consumption of large amounts of alcohol is called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). NAFLD develops most often in people with at least one of the components of metabolic syndrome:
Inflammation of the liver due to NAFLD is called nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). This inflammation may develop info scarring (fibrosis) and cirrhosis.
Symptoms
Diagnosis
If doctors suspect fatty liver, they ask about alcohol use. This information is crucial. Continued and excessive alcohol use can cause severe liver damage.
Blood tests to detect liver abnormalities, such as inflammation, are important because inflammation may lead to cirrhosis. Additional blood tests help exclude other causes of liver abnormalities, such as viral hepatitis. Ultrasonography, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the abdomen can detect excess fat in the liver but cannot always determine whether inflammation or fibrosis is present (see Imaging Tests of the Liver and Gallbladder).
Liver biopsy may be necessary to confirm the diagnosis. For the biopsy, a doctor gives a local anesthetic to lessen any pain, then inserts a long hollow needle through the skin and into the liver to obtain a small piece of liver tissue for examination under a microscope. The biopsy can help determine whether fatty liver is present, whether it resulted from alcohol or certain other specific causes, and how severe the liver damage is.
Prognosis
Excess fat in the liver by itself is not necessarily a serious problem. For example, if alcohol is the cause, the fat can disappear, usually within 6 weeks, when people stop drinking. However, if the cause is not identified and corrected, fatty liver can have serious consequences. For example, if people continue to drink large amounts of alcohol or if a drug causing fatty liver is not stopped, repeated liver injury may eventually lead to cirrhosis.
Women with fatty liver of pregnancy have a worse prognosis.
Treatment
Resources In This Article
Drugs Mentioned In This Article
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Generic NameSelect Brand Names
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rosiglitazoneAVANDIA
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pioglitazoneACTOS
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TamoxifenNOLVADEX
- Manifestations of Liver Disease
- Overview of Liver Disease
- Ascites
- Cholestasis
- Fatty Liver
- Hepatic Encephalopathy
- Jaundice in Adults
- Liver Failure
- Portal Hypertension
* This is the Consumer Version. *
Also of Interest
Test your knowledge
Liver tumors may be noncancerous (benign) or cancerous (malignant). Most cancerous liver tumors usually result from which of the following?