Recommendations for Diagnosis, Referral for Liver Biopsy, and Treatment of Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis.

ABSTRACT: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the primary cause of chronic liver disease in the United States, afflicting an estimated 80 to 100 million Americans. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum of liver diseases composed of nonalcoholic fatty liver and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Although nonalcoholic fatty liver has a negligible risk of progression, patients with NASH often develop cirrhosis or hepatocellular carcinoma. Although liver biopsy is required to diagnose NASH, only patients with a high risk of NASH or advanced fibrosis require this evaluation. Despite the high prevalence of NAFLD, well-defined screening recommendations are currently lacking. In this review, suggestions for screening, diagnosis, and initial work-up of NAFLD are given on the basis of estab

SUBMITTER: Spengler EK 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4567478 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature