Aetiology of fatty liver

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