Histopathology of Pediatric Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease * #

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) are common in children and adolescents. However, standard histological criteria for pediatric NAFLD and NASH are undeveloped. We reviewed consecutive patients ages 2 to 18 years with biopsy-proven NAFLD diagnosed between 1997 and 2003. Biopsies were evaluated by two pathologists for individual features of steatohepatitis. Agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis demonstrated two different forms of steatohepatitis. Type 1 was characterized by steatosis, ballooning degeneration, and perisinusoidal fibrosis; type 2 was characterized by steatosis, portal inflammation, and portal fibrosis. The study included 100 children with NAFLD.…