Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease in pediatric patients.

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease is a spectrum of liver disease ranging from simple hepatic steatosis to steatohepatitis, hepatic fibrosis, and cirrhosis. It is highly associated with obesity and insulin resistance, and with the dramatic increase in childhood and adolescent obesity, it has become the most common form of chronic liver disease in these age groups. Genetic and environmental factors both appear to play a role in the development of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. There is currently no established effective therapy, and decreasing the prevalence of this disorder will require a reduction in the current obesity epidemic.