The histologic spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Abstract

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) represents a range of histologic lesions in the liver that occur in individuals who do not consume alcohol in quantities that generally are considered to be harmful. The histologic spectrum of NAFLD includes isolated predominantly macrovesicular steatosis alone at one end and steatohepatitis at the other. Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis can progress to cirrhosis and now also is considered to be a precursor of cryptogenic cirrhosis. This article provides an understanding of the histologic features of NAFLD and the potential pitfalls in the histologic assessment of this condition.