What is fatty liver and what causes it?

• A. It is a congenital liver disease with fat deposition
• B. It is an acute inflammatory process of the liver
• C. It is an acquired and reversible metabolism disorder in which excess triglycerides are present in the hepatocytes. Some causes are obesity, excessive alcohol intake, poorly controlled hyperlipidemia, diabetes, excess corticosteroids, pregnancy, severe hepatitis, cystic fibrosis, and glycogen storage disease
• D. It is a degenerative liver disease causing fibrosis

Answer: (C)

Fatty liver is hepatic steatosis, an acquired and reversible metabolic problem in which excess triglycerides collect inside liver cells. This happens when fat delivery to the liver, fat synthesis, and fat export don’t stay in balance, so triglycerides accumulate within hepatocytes. Common causes include obesity, insulin resistance or diabetes, poorly controlled hyperlipidemia, and heavy alcohol use; other contributing factors can be corticosteroid excess, pregnancy, severe hepatitis, cystic fibrosis, and certain glycogen storage diseases. Because this is a metabolic issue rather than a congenital defect or a primarily inflammatory or fibrotic disease, it can improve or reverse with weight loss, better diabetes and lipid control, and reducing alcohol or other offending factors. If the underlying causes persist, fatty change can progress to inflammation and scarring, but the initial state is reversible fat buildup in the liver cells.