Advances in diagnosis and treatment of hepatic steatosis.

Although many breakthroughs have been made in biomedicine, however, a satisfactory treatment is still lacking. On the other hand, treatment with TCM drugs has been proved satisfactory through there is no unified criterion on type differentiation in diagnostics. Hepatic steatosis due to alcoholic hepatitis could be effectively treated with the therapeutic methods of soothing the liver, promoting blood circulation and resolving phlegm. Generally speaking, hepatic steatosis can be treated with the principles of 1) soothing the liver, strengthening the spleen and resolving phlegm; 2) tonifying the liver and kidney, resolving phlegm and dispelling stasis; 3) soothing the liver and promoting blood circulation, strengthening the spleen and excreting dampness; 4) soothing the depressed liver to regulate the circulation of qi, softening hardness and promoting blood circulation; and 5) strengthening the spleen and excreting dampness and soothing the depressed liver to regulate the circulation of qi.