fatty liver

[PattyJane]

Plz anyone?
What is fatty liver and symptoms

[Oddangel]

Fatty liver, at its most basic, is fat in your liver cells. A mild case usually is not a problem, but a chronic case of it can be more serious. I'd ask your doctor how his/her diagnosis concerns you. Is it mild? Does it appear to be more persistent and/or serious? Do you need to change your diet?

There's a good summary at:
http://www.gicare.com/pated/ecdlv37.htm

"Fatty liver is just what its name suggests: the build-up of fat in the liver cells. Although this is not a normal condition, fat in the liver usually causes no damage by itself. However, on some occasions it can be a sign that other more harmful conditions are at work. Fatty liver may be associated with or may lead to inflammation of the liver. This can cause scarring and hardening of the liver. When scarring becomes extensive, it is called cirrhosis, and this is a very serious condition. Therefore, it is important that a physician thoroughly examine a patient with fat in the liver."

[nanci]

Is obesity one of the causes of fatty liver - if one were to
lose weight, would that alleviate the problem of fat in the liver.

I ask because my son needs to lose weight and was told last year
he had fatty liver which was noticed after he had some blood
work for insurance purposes.

[roxnsox]

The only treatment for "Fatty Infiltration of the Liver" is to lose weight.  The doctors recommend losing one pound per week because if you lose weight too fast you can do damage to the liver.  Were his liver enzymes elevated?  If his liver enzymes were elevated that means his liver is inflamed.  If he has inflamation (inflammation) he probably has had this for a long time.  He may already have some fibrosis.  Fibrosis can lead to cirrohsis.  Go to the website ClinicalTrials.gov and do a search on "Fatty Liver".   You will see some information there about some clinical trials they are doing on this disease (also known as Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis).  They are teating a drug for treatment of this "new" disease.  There is also an article in the April issue of New England Journal of Medicine.