Study advances of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD) in obese children has increasingly become the most common cause of chronic liver disease in children and adolescents.NAFLD includes simple steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis,which will progress to cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma.It is recognized as a hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome.With regarding to the pathogenesis of NAFLD,the "multiple-hit" hypothesis is more popular.Although clinical symptoms,laboratory data,and imaging findings are important,liver biopsy is regarded as the gold standard for the diagnosis of NAFLD.In addition,liver biopsy is essential for assessing the degree of necro-inflammatory change and fibrosis in NAFLD.Although pharmacotherapy has been studied in clinical trials,lifestyle modification by diet and exercise remains the mainstay of treatment for NAFLD.