Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Educational Gap: Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is the most common liver disorder in the United States, affecting approximately 10% of all children, and clinicians should be aware of how to address this challenging diagnosis. Objectives: After reading this article, readers should be able to: 1. Define the spectrum of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and understand the natural history of the disease. 2. Know the clinical features of NAFLD and recognize those at risk for the disease. 3. Understand the general approach to the screening and diagnosis of NAFLD and the limitations of commonly used laboratory and imaging techniques. 4. Understand the broad differential diagnosis of NAFLD. 5. Know the most effective means of preventing and treating NAFLD.