Relation of steatosis to cirrhosis.

Steatosis of the liver is a harmless symptom of disturbed lipid metabolism but not a disease. The cause of the steatosis, and not the fat accumulation by itself, produces cirrhosis. There is no evidence so far in man that cirrhosis may be caused by nutritional deficiencies alone. Even cirrhosis after small bowel bypass procedures seems to be result from metabolic rather than nutritional disturbances.