aetiology of fatty liver
Last reviewed 11/2022
Causes of macrovacuolar steatosis:
- very common
- alcohol – most commonest cause of fatty liver
- insulin resistence
- obesity
- hypertriglyceridemia
- common
- hepatitis C
- medications – corticosteroids, amiodarone, tamoxifen, methotrexate
- uncommon
- nutrition
- parenteral nutrition
- under-nutrition
- weight loss
- extensive resection of the small intestine
- congenital
- metabolic overload
- cystic fibrosis
Casues of microvacuolar steatosis
- Reye’s syndrome
- medications - valproate, anti-retroviral medicines
- acute fatty liver of pregnancy - a rare but potentially fatal condition whose pathogenesis is unknown
- HELLP syndrome
Reference:
- (1) Vilgrain V et al Hepatic steatosis: a major trap in liver imaging. Diagn Interv Imaging. 2013 94(7-8):713-27
- (2) Chalasani N et al. The diagnosis and management of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease: practice Guideline by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, American College of Gastroenterology, and the American Gastroenterological Association. Hepatology. 2012;55(6):2005-23