Resumo

HERRERA GONZALEZ, Alfredo et al. Fatty liver: Diagnostic and therapeutic approach. Rev cubana med [online]. 2007, vol.46, n.1. ISSN 0034-7523.

The diagnostic and therapeutic approach on “fatty liver”, proposed in this review, was made to meet the needs of the practitioner. A theoretical disquisition on the terminological problem of this syndrome was stated, and the common pathogenic mechanisms in the different clinical conditions predisposing to suffer from this health problem, that may appear as a simple hepatic steatosis, but that may also be the cause of liver cirrhosis leading the patient to a liver transplantation, were approached. It was considered the importance of hefting the sum of the factors predisposing the disease, the imaging studies, and the risk markers of the development of fibrosis before indicating the liver biopsy. The treatment is intended to reduce the flow of fatty acids to the liver, to protect the hepatocyte from oxidative mechanisms, to avoid known toxic agents damaging the liver, and to treat the conditioning or associated factors. An algorithm of care and follow-up of these patients was suggested.

Palavras-chave : Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; simple esteatosis; esteatohepatitis; metabolic disease.