Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an increasingly recognized cause of chronic liver disease, representing the leading cause of hepatology referral in some centres. However, its pathophysiology is not completely understood. Insulin resistance is one of the major mechanisms involved in disease prevalence and progression. Owing to the lack of an effective pharmacological therapy, recommendations on treatment are scarce and are based mainly on lifestyle changes, including diet and exercise. A review of the current literature on pathogenesis of NAFLD is presented in this article.

Hepatocellular carcinoma is a common malignancy affecting approximately one million people around the world every year. The incidence is low in the occidental world and high in locations such as Southeast Asia and sub-Saharan Africa. Hepatocellular carcinoma primarily affects old people, reaching its highest prevalence among those aged 65 to 69 years old. Chronic infection by the hepatitis B virus is the most common cause of this disease. Other important causes are cirrhosis, chronic viral hepatitis (hepatitis C virus, and hepatitis B plus D viruses), alcohol abuse, obesity, hemochromatosis, alfa1-antitripsin deficiency, and toxins similar to aflatoxin. In most cases, hepatocellular carcinoma is asymptomatic and has a low life expectancy. This article presents a review of the most important epidemiological, diagnostic and treatment data about this disease.