Prevalencia del hígado graso no alcohólico en muestras de biopsias hepáticas

an observational and retrospective study of the hepatic biopsies performed in “luis díaz soto” higher institute of military medicine during a period of 3 years was conducted, and the presence of secondary fatty hepatic damage (viral, toxic, surgical, and due to congenital disorders of the metabolism) was discarded by means of a detailed study of the medical histories. we found that 36 % of the biopsies corresponded to the diagnosis of non-alcoholic fatty liver. in all its histological forms, it was observed that 52 % of the subjects over 45 years old showed the most severe evolutional types (type iii, iv). it was proved that there is a close relationship between the non-alcoholic fatty liver and the states composing the so-called “resistance syndrome” to insulin (obesity, hyperlipidemia, diabetes and hypertension), and that this disease has a silent evolution. it is concluded that non-alcoholic fatty liver is a prevalent entity in this environment, and as a proportional increase of the habits conditioning its genesis is expected, it is necessary to take into account this diagnosis, and to perform hepatic biopsies in those risk cases in order to follow a therapeutical conduct aimed at controlling the factors making it possible.