title: Clinical Presentation and Patient Evaluation in Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
abstract: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a diagnosis of exclusion. Most patients are asymptomatic and diagnosed incidentally. Most patients remain undiagnosed. A high index of suspicion and serologic work-up to rule out alternative causes of liver disease is required. In NALFD, fibrosis correlates with outcomes, including mortality. To diagnose, assess severity, and monitor fibrosis, 2 noninvasive methods can be used. However, noninvasive tests are more helpful at extremes of fibrosis: excluding it or diagnosing advanced fibrosis. Liver biopsy is usually reserved for cases whereby noninvasive tests fail to accurately determine the degree of fibrosis or the diagnosis is unclear.
authors.affiliation: Section of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 East Broad Street, West Hospital, Room 1478, Richmond, VA 23298-0341, USA.
authors.forename: Vaishali
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Patel
authors.affiliation: Section of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 East Broad Street, West Hospital, Room 1478, Richmond, VA 23298-0341, USA.
authors.forename: Arun J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Sanyal
authors.affiliation: Section of Hepatology, Department of Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, Virginia Commonwealth University, 1200 East Broad Street, West Hospital, Room 1478, Richmond, VA 23298-0341, USA. Electronic address: rksterli@vcu.edu.
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sterling
mesh_terms: D001706:Biopsy; D001944:Breath Tests; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D054459:Elasticity Imaging Techniques; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000473:pathology*; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology*
keywords: Evaluation; Nonalcoholic fatty liver; Steatohepatitis