steatózou

Steatózou is a term of Greek origin used in medical literature to refer to steatosis, the fatty change or fatty degeneration that occurs when lipids accumulate within cells and tissues. The concept is most commonly described in the liver, where hepatic steatosis (often called fatty liver) is the hallmark, but fat can also accumulate in the pancreas, heart, kidneys, and skeletal muscle.

In the liver, steatosis can be macrovesicular, with large fat droplets that displace the nucleus, or microvesicular, with multiple small droplets. Steatosis may exist without symptoms, typically discovered incidentally on imaging. When inflammation accompanies fat accumulation, the condition is described as steatohepatitis, which can progress to fibrosis and, in advanced cases, cirrhosis.

Causes and risk factors are diverse and include excessive alcohol consumption, obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and metabolic syndrome. Certain medications, rapid weight loss, malnutrition, and genetic factors can also contribute. The pathogenesis often involves an imbalance between lipid acquisition, storage, and removal within hepatocytes, with oxidative stress and inflammatory processes playing roles in progression.

Diagnosis generally relies on imaging studies such as ultrasound, CT, or MRI to detect fat in the liver, supported by laboratory tests showing mild to moderate elevations in liver enzymes. In uncertain cases, a liver biopsy may be performed to assess the degree of fat, inflammation, and fibrosis.

Treatment focuses on addressing the underlying cause: weight reduction through diet and exercise, abstinence from alcohol, control of diabetes and dyslipidemia, and avoidance of offending medications. The prognosis varies with the presence and extent of inflammation and fibrosis; simple steatosis has a relatively favorable outlook, while steatohepatitis can progress to serious liver disease. Steatózou serves as a concise reference to this fatty-change process within tissues.