Abstract
Changes in hepatic morphology were evaluated in 242 consecutive liver biopsy specimens obtained from nonalcoholic obese subjects. Steatosis occurred in 59.7% of the subjects but was moderate to severe in 28.7%. An alcoholic hepatitis-like picture was present in 8.7% and cirrhosis in 2.7%. Fibrosis of mild and moderate degrees was encountered in 26.1% and 5.8%, respectively. This study indicates that the histopathological changes that occur in the livers of obese subjects are similar to alcoholic liver injury.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Halverson JD, Wise L, Wazna MF, Ballinger WF: Jejunoileal bypass for morbid obesity. A critical appraisal. Am J Med 64:461–475, 1978
Kern WH, Payne JH, DeWind L: Hepatic changes after small-intestinal bypass for morbid obesity. Am J Clin Pathol 61:763–768, 1974
Dean RH, Scott HW, Jr, Shull HJ, Gluck FW: Morbid obesity: Problems associated with operative management. Am J Clin Nutr 30:90–97, 1977
Salmon PA, Reedyk L: Fatty metamorphosis in patients with jejunoileal bypass. Surg Gynecol Obstet 141:75–84, 1975
Shibata HR, Mackenzie JR, Huang S-N: Morphologic changes of the liver following small intestinal bypass for obesity. Arch Surg 103:229–237, 1971
Marubbio AT, Jr, Buchwald, J, Schwartz M, Varco R: Hepatic lesions of central pericellular fibrosis in morbid obesity and after jejunoileal bypass. Am J Clin Pathol 66:684–691, 1976
Kern WH, Heger AH, Payne JH, DeWind LT: Fatty metamorphosis of the liver in morbid obesity. Arch Pathol 96:342–346, 1973
Wills CE: Jejuno-ileostomy for obesity. J Med Assoc Ga 58:456–461, 1969
Adler M, Schaffner F: Fatty liver, hepatitis and cirrhosis in obese patients. Am J Med 67:811–816, 1979
Galambos JT, Wills CE: Relationship between 505 paired liver tests and biopsies in 242 obese patients. Gastroenterology 74:1191–1195, 1978
Peters RL: Hepatic morphologic changes after jejunoileal bypass.In Progress in Liver Diseases, Vol VI. H Popper, F, Schaffner (eds). New York, Grune & Stratton, 1979, pp 581–594
Lieber CS, DeCarli LM, Gang H, Walker G, Rubin E: Hepatic effects of long term ethanol consumption in primates.In Medical Primatology, Part 3, Basel, Switzerland, S. Karger, 1972, p 270
Flatt JP: Role of the increased adipose tissue mass in the apparent insulin insensitivity of obesity. Am J Clin Nutr 25:1189–1192, 1972
Hartroft WS, Sellers EA: The dissolution of fatty cysts in precirrhotic and cirrhotic livers of choline-deficient rats treated with lipotrophic factors. Am J Pathol 28:387–399, 1952
Hartroft WS: Diagnostic significance of fatty cysts in cirrhosis. Arch Pathol 55:63–69, 1953
Morgan MY, Sherlock, Scheuer PJ: Portal fibrosis in the livers of alcoholic patients. Gut 19:1005–1021, 1978
Goldberg SJ, Mendenhall CL, Connell AM, Chedid A: “Nonalcoholic” chronic hepatitis in the alcoholic. Gastroenterology 72:598–604, 1977
Galambos JT: Natural history of alcoholic hepatitis. III. Histological changes. Gastroenterology 63:1026–1035, 1972
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Nasrallah, S.M., Wills, C.E. & Galambos, J.T. Hepatic morphology in obesity. Digest Dis Sci 26, 325–327 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308373
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01308373