Resumo

CANAL DE MOLANO, Nelly Susana  e  MACIAS-TOMEI, Coromoto. Non-Alcoholic fatty liver disease in children. Arch Venez Puer Ped [online]. 2015, vol.78, n.1, pp.31-37. ISSN 0004-0649.

During the last years, the incidence of obesity and Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD) in children has increased in an alarming way. NAFLD is a progressive disease that encompasses a spectrum of liver diseases ranging from simple steatosis to Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis (NASH). The data related to survival in children are scarce, but these data are strongly associated with an increased risk of NASH, non-liver disease and mortality compared with the general population. The association between NAFLD and cardiovascular disease in children has been recognized recently. Obesity is a major risk factor for the disease. Pediatric NAFLD is becoming a global problem, in parallel with the dramatic worldwide increase in obesity. NAFLD is more common in obese children and it has the potential to progress to hepatic fibrosis and liver failure. It is unclear why some patients develop this transformation and this susceptibility, probably related to an interaction between a genetically susceptible host and the environment. Currently, treatment is largely conservative and includes lifestyle modification, achievable by healthy weight loss with diet and exercise. In this review, current knowledge on NAFLD in children is summarized with the aims to raise awareness in the medical community about a hidden public health problem, to identify existing gaps in the literature and to provide directions for future research.

Palavras-chave : Fatty liver; Steatosis; Steatohepatitis; Obesity; Children.