Cryptogenic cirrhosis and NAFLD: are they related?
Cryptogenic cirrhosis (CC), literally meaning cirrhosis of obscure or unknown origin, is a diagnosis of exclusion. The circumstantial evidence indicates that nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is perhaps one of the important causes of CC. There is also evidence, especially from the European literature, that some patients with CC may have undiagnosed or burnt-out autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Other rare causes may include "unknown" viral (non-A, non-B, non-C) hepatitis, and occult alcoholism. In this review, we examine the role of NAFLD and other causes in the pathogenesis of CC, and the impact of obesity on patients with chronic liver disease.
Maheshwari
Anurag
A
Hepatology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 1830 E. Monument Street, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA.
Thuluvath
Paul J
PJ
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D015897:Comorbidity; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009765:Obesity / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012307:Risk Factors; D013223:Statistics as Topic