Abstract

The epidemiology of liver diseases has been changing over the time, with increasing importance of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Objective: To investigate the principal diagnosis of liver diseases in a reference center. Material and Methods: Prospective study of 405 consecutive patients attending the Clinica Las Condes Gastroenterology Department, between March and July 2010. Results: 207 (51%) were men and 198 (49%) women, with a mean age of 54 years old (Range 14-89). From these, 134 (33%) had NAFLD, 40 (10%) autoimmune hepatitis, 36 (9%) primary biliary cirrhosis, 25 (9%) chronic hepatitis C, 26 (6,5%) Gilbert syndrome, 23 (5,5%) acute or chronic hepatitis B, 22 (5%) liver transplantation and 87 (65%) others diagnosis. From 134 NAFLD cases, 88 (66%) were men and 46 (34%) women, 72 (54%) had overweight, 39 (29%) obesity, 100 (75%) dyslipidemia and 87 (65%) glucose intolerance, insulin resistance and/or diabetes mellitus. Conclusion: NAFLD is currently the main cause of liver disease in a reference center, associated to well known risk factors, increasingly presented in Chile.